Harry, Meghan and William offer help, as Beatrice cancels reception at Palace
We need each other for truth, for support and to feel less alone.
Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
THE DUKE and Duchess of Sussex have announced an initiative to help people cope with the mental stress of the coronavirus pandemic and celebrate those on the frontline of the crisis.
In a post on their @sussexroyal Instagram account, the couple said they would be using the platform to share resources and post “accurate information and facts from trusted experts”.
They added they would also use it to help people learn measures they can take to keep themselves and their families safe and work with organisations that can help with “mental and emotional well-being”.
Meghan and Harry, who are understood to be in their new home in Vancouver, Canada, having completed their final duties as senior royals earlier this month, said people are living in “uncertain times”.
Calling for unity, they said: “Now, more than ever, we need each other.”
They continued: “We need each other for truth, for support, and to feel less alone during a time that can honestly feel quite scary.”
They added: “Our willingness, as a people, to step up in the face of what we are all experiencing with Covid-19 is awe-inspiring. This moment is as true a testament there is to the human spirit.”
The Duke of Cambridge launched an appeal for the National Emergencies Trust, to raise money on behalf of local charities working with those most at risk during the coronavirus crisis.
The trust will distribute the funds to organisations in the greatest need as they work to support those who are isolated or tackling the spread of Covid-19. The initiative was only launched in November last year, and the Duke remarked at the time that he “dreaded” the day that it would be needed.
Its aim is to distribute funds from the general public in the event of a domestic disaster with both “care and speed”.
The Duke said in a recorded speech: “Whenever and wherever adversity strikes, the people of the UK have a unique ability to pull together.”
Meanwhile, Princess Beatrice’s wedding plans have been thrown into disarray amid by the outbreak.
The Queen’s granddaughter and her fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have cancelled their reception, which was due to take place in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.
Beatrice and millionaire property tycoon Edo still plan to wed on May 29, but are looking at whether a private marriage with a small group of family and friends would be feasible.
Buckingham Palace said the “couple are reviewing their arrangements”.