ROYAL HELP
Kate Middleton and Prince William give Meghan Markle and Prince Harry shout out on Instagram despite ‘fab four split’
KATE Middleton and Prince William today gave a shout out to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry despite rumours of a rift between the two couples.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge gushed over the Shout helpline as they met volunteers this morning - saying all four royals "couldn't be more proud" of the charity since its launch.
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And they said they were staggered to see how well the mental health text line was doing after it was launched in May with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Speaking to the crowd today, Prince William thanked all the volunteers for helping out, saying: "Catherine and I, and I know I speak for Harry and Meghan as well, couldn't be more proud of what Shout has accomplished and what you are still to accomplish.
"Still a relatively new charity but hitting some very big goals and some very big objectives so we really appreciate all the hard work you are doing."
They later shared pictures on Instagram, again referencing the Sussex couple who were missing from the event.
It comes despite the couples - once dubbed the "Fab Four" - were rumoured to be involved in a rift.
Prince Harry has even admitted he and brother William were "on different paths" and had "good days and bad days".
The rift rumours were sparked after a source claimed that Meghan had made Kate cry during Princess Charlotte's bridesmaids fitting last year.
These were further stoked when Kensington Palace confirmed that Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex were moving to Windsor.
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The couples were seen over the weekend at their first official event together since June, attending the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.
But Harry, 35, and wife Meghan, 38, were not at today's celebration for the charity's volunteers.
Instead Kate and William, both 37, made sure to put on a united front as they headed to the event today.
Kate looked stylish in an autumnal outfit including maroon Joseph trousers paired with a black and white patterned Smythe jacket and black pumps.
Both William and Kate appeared in good spirits as they spoke to volunteers - praising them for waking up at 3am to support those in need.
They also took the time to speak with Ian Russell, the father of 14-year-old Molly who killed herself after viewing suicide posts on Instagram.
William, who has been highly critical of tech giants in their response to online bullying and other problems, questioned whether companies like Instagram were doing enough when he and Kate met Ian Russell during the Shout messaging helpline event at Troubadour White City Theatre.
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The second-in-line to the throne wrote to Mr Russell and his family earlier this year, offering his support. Molly, 14, from Harrow in northwest London, took her own life in November 2017 after viewing graphic material on self-harm and suicide.
And today, he asked Mr Russell: "Do you think companies like Instagram are doing enough?".
Putting his hand on the dad's shoulder, he added: "If we can help you in any way please let us know."
After her death, Molly's family discovered she had been "suggested" disturbing posts on Instagram and Pinterest about anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide.
Mr Russell, who has accused Instagram of “helping to kill” his daughter because of the material she accessed, welcomed the Cambridges’ support.
“My thoughts on Instagram are, we're grateful that they're doing something but I think they're only really inching along the road, and they need to do a lot more,” he said, arguing that accessing and getting rid of harmful material was easier than the internet giant had made out.”
Molly was found dead just hours after handing in her homework - and packing a schoolbag for the next day in 2017.
Since her death, the Facebook-owned app vowed to ban graphic self-harm snaps from its site in February.
YOU'RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society - from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others... You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, , 0800 585 858
- Heads Together,
- Mind, , 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus,, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, , 116 123
Since the charity launched in May this year, 1,500 volunteers have had 145,000 text conversations with people in crisis, exchanging a total of six million messages.
Six months ago, to mark the charity's official opening, William and Kate, alongside the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, appealed to the public to give their time to the charity, and since then more than 13,000 people have registered an interest.
Since its founding, 75 per cent of people who have contacted Shout have been under 25 and the most common issues raised are suicide, depression, relationships, anxiety, isolation and self-harm.
On shift, volunteers access the service from computers in their own homes, so the event will provide an opportunity to meet other people giving their time to the charity.
Operating 24/7, the service connects people in need to trained volunteers, who help them move from a “moment of crisis to a calm state, and form a plan for next steps to find longer-term support”.
The launch of Shout in the UK is a result of the commitment made by the royal couples, during their Heads Together campaign, to support conversations on mental health.
MOST READ IN NEWS
Prince William has long been a strong advocate for mental health, and two years ago he created the charity Heads Together with Kate and Prince Harry.
Tara Hopkins, Head of EMEA Policy, Instagram, said: “Nothing is more important to us than the safety of the people who use Instagram.
"Earlier this year we made changes to our policies and launched new technology to help us address twice as much content as before - with 77 per cent of content actioned before it was reported.
"We have now expanded our policy to ban fictional self-harm or suicide content including memes and illustrations, and content containing methods or materials.
"We will always need to respond to new trends and behaviours. We know our work here is never done, but we are committed to doing everything we can to keep people safe.”
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Prince Harry speaks out about reported rifts with brother Prince William in ITV documentary Harry and Meghan: An African Journey
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