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Prince William, Kate and Prince Harry's quotes on mental health

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry support a number of charitable causes, but none have garnered more of their attention and time than that of mental health awareness.

In early 2017, William, Kate and Harry launched Heads Together - a charitable campaign determined to "tackle stigma and change the conversation on mental health with fundraising for a series of innovative new mental health services."

Since then, the royals have spent much of their time advocating for and on behalf of those struggling with everything from anxiety to grief to PTSD.

Here are just a few of their most compelling and inspiring quotes surrounding mental health and well-being.

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Ahead of World Mental Health Day 2017, Prince Harry announced plans to work with the U.K.'s Ministry of Defense to help improve mental health programs for members of the Armed Forces.

"Quite simply, these men and women are prized assets which need to be continually invested in. We surely have to think of them as high performance athletes, carrying all their kit, equipment and a rifle. Crucially, fighting fitness is not just about physical fitness. It is just as much about mental fitness too," said the 33-year-old during a press conference in London.

Photo: Getty Images
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Prince Harry has said that Heads Together's goal is to "normalize the conversation to the point where anyone can sit down and have a coffee and just go ‘you know what, I’ve had a really bad day, can I just tell about it? Because then you walk away and it’s done.”

Photo: Getty Images

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Kate, who is expecting her third child, believes that young people shouldn't be scared to ask for help, and that early intervention is key in solving later problems in life.

"I feel strongly that young people and parents need to know that they can ask for help," she wrote in an essay penned in support of the Time to Mind campaign. "Just as with physical health, we need to act early to provide support when a child is faced with emotional difficulties."

Photo: Getty Images
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During a visit to the London Ambulance Service on Time to Talk Awareness Day, Harry summed up the need for conversation with a powerful statement - "People are scared to talk about it, but they should be scared about not talking about it."

Photo: Getty Images

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In April 2017, Prince William teamed up with Lady Gaga to spread awareness for mental health. The duo taped an important PSA to encourage more people to have an open conversation about their struggles and to end the stigma around the topic as part of the Heads Together #oktosay campaign.

In the short video, Prince William tells the singer, "It's time that everyone speaks up. Just having a conversation with a friend or family member can really make such a difference. It’s OK to have this conversation. It’s really important to have this conversation."

Photo: Heads Together
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“I can safely say that losing my mum at the age of 12, and therefore shutting down all of my emotions for the last 20 years, has had a quite serious effect on not only my personal life but my work as well," said Prince Harry during a candid interview with The Telegraph.

It marked the first time Harry truly talked about the loss of his mother, and the therapy he underwent to overcome the grief. "I have probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions [...] The experience I have had is that once you start talking about it, you realize that actually you’re part of quite a big club."

Photo: Tim Graham/Getty Images

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The Duchess of Cambridge is patron of the Anna Freud Centre and in September launched a new youth mental health initiative.

“Mental health is how we feel and think. Things that can’t really be seen, but that affect us every day and talking about them can feel difficult… Sometimes, it’s just a simple conversation that can make things better," said the mother of two in a video message.

Photo: Getty Images
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Prince William has expressed his and Kate's desire to ensure their children always feel comfortable talking about their emotions.

He has said, “Catherine and I are clear that we want both George and Charlotte to grow up feeling able to talk about their emotions and feelings. We will all go through tough times in our lives, but men especially feel the need to pretend that everything is OK, and that admitting this to their friends will make them appear weak. I can assure you this is actually a sign of strength.”

Photo: Getty Images

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During a talk at King's College Centre for Military Health Research in London, Harry said, "We all have mental health in the same way that we all have physical health. "It’s ok to have depression, it’s ok to have anxiety, it’s ok to have adjustment disorder."

Photo: Getty Images

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Like her husband and brother-in-law, Kate understands the importance of speaking out about mental health struggles: “Just talking to somebody, having those conversations, is like medicine. It’s okay to have that conversation, even if it’s uncomfortable or awkward.”

Photo: Getty Images

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Speaking to health journalists at the Guild of Health Writers event in London, Prince William explained, “Mental health was the great taboo. If you were anxious, it’s because you were weak. If you couldn’t cope with whatever life threw at you, it’s because you were failing. Successful, strong people don’t suffer like that, do they? But of course – we all do. It’s just that few of us speak about it.”

Photo: Getty Images

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Prince Harry reflected on the negative role perception plays in mental health: “It’s always sold as everyone else’s life is perfect, that’s the problem, therefore you think that if everyone else’s life is perfect, then what’s wrong with me? But if you can have a family environment, where you can talk openly about your issues, that makes for a better family, better preparation, better working at your job and at your school.”

Photo: Getty Images

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