Prince William and Kate take over radio stations with poignant message about mental health

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge interrupted UK radio stations for a special broadcast about mental health, calling on the nation to "lift someone out of loneliness" with a small act of kindness.

Prince William, 39, and Kate, 40, shared a recorded message during Mental Health Awareness Week for the 2022 'Mental Health Minute', which was launched by the Royal Foundation and Radiocentre.

During their minute-long broadcast, the royal couple spoke about the loneliness epidemic in the UK and asked people to help their friends and family "feel less isolated".

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"Hello, I'm Catherine, and I'm William," their shared message said. "We're all in different places now, not just physically but mentally. And we can all feel lonely sometimes."

"No matter who - or where - we are, we can feel it for so many different reasons. But we can all help each other feel less isolated and more connected."

The royals, who recorded the message from Kensington Palace, offered small but meaningful ways their listers could be kind to another person.

"So if you think someone you know may be feeling lonely, just give them a ring, send them a text, or knock on their door," Kate said.

"Maybe suggest meeting for a cup of tea or a walk," William said.

Kate added: "Because these small acts of kindness can make a big difference and help us all feel less lonely."

The future Prince of Wales concluded the message with an apology for "interrupting every radio station in the country" for the small broadcast.

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"But if we interrupt the lives of those who are feeling alone," Kate said. "We can help lift them out of loneliness," Will finished.

The message played out across 500 radio stations and comes after a UK survey found one in 10 people feel lonely "often or always".

The Duke and Duchess have long been advocates of mental health awareness and have regularly supported initiatives which provide support and help break the stigma around loneliness.

During the couple's two-day trip to Scotland earlier this week, William visited Edinburgh's Heart of Midlothian Football Club to witness 'The Changing Room', a program run by the Scottish Association for Mental Health which helps young men who need mental health support.

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The pair also visited people whose mental health had been impacted by homelessness, with William breaking royal protocol to hug an elderly pensioner he had met in Glasgow.

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are great champions of mental health awareness and we're hugely grateful to have their support through the Mental Health Minute," Minister for Civic Society and Youth at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Nigel Huddleston, said.

"We know loneliness is having a disproportionate impact on our young people and this campaign offers easy to use guidance people can follow to improve their wellbeing."