UK's Prince William joins footballer's podcast as part of mental health campaign

[July 29, 2020]  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William has taken part in a popular BBC podcast with former England footballer Peter Crouch to raise awareness about mental health issues, his Kensington Palace office said.

William, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth and second in line to the British throne, has in recent years stepped up his campaigning on mental health issues, urging people to talk through a charity initiative called Heads Together.

After joining forces with English soccer, William's mental health awareness campaign has led to the renaming of a soccer match and the Heads Up FA Cup Final is due to take place on Saturday.

A Kensington Palace statement said on Wednesday that William has been trying to use the popularity of soccer to show that mental health is just as important as physical health.

"We all have mental health, and we all have to stay mentally fit ..." William said in the statement issued by his office.

"It’s a strength to talk about your mental health, it’s not a weakness. You know if you’re not feeling well, something’s bothering you, talk about it – it’s not a problem."

(Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Stephen Addison)

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