William, Kate & Harry attend London Marathon

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William, Kate & Harry attend London Marathon

by katemiddletonreview120 Comments on William, Kate & Harry attend London Marathon

Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Prince Harry attended the London Marathon in support of Heads Together yesterday, April 23, where they pushed the starting button and cheered on the runners.

The day began with a pre-race reception where William, Kate, and Harry met with Heads Together runners to wish them luck.

After the pre-race reception, the royal trio started the Elite Men’s and Mass race by jointly pushing a big red button.

William, Kate, Harry cheer on runners at London Marathon s
[Kensington Palace @KensingtonRoyal]

After starting the race, they moved to Cutty Sark to cheer on the runners with giant Heads Together branded foam fingers.

Harry, Patron of the London Marathon Charitable Foundation, presented the winners of the Wheelchair, Elite Men’s, and Elite Women’s races with their medals, while William and Kate met marathon staff and volunteers.

The royal trio then moved to mile 22 where they handed out water bottles to runners.

Kate hands out water bottles s
[Kensington Palace @KensingtonRoyal]

Apparently some runners decided to splash water in William and Kate’s direction. If that was intentional and not just water splashing as runners threw their water bottles down, then I think that’s rude.

They then traveled to the finish line to present a number of the amateur runners with medals and congratulate them on finishing the race. This guy in a star costume is everything.

William, Kate, and Harry finished their day at the marathon by attending a post-race reception with Heads Together runners.

Kate chats to Heads Together runner in warm down area s
[Kensington Palace @KensingtonRoyal]

All three of the royals wore Heads Together branded jackets from Regatta. Kate also wore her M I H striped wool pullover, black skinny jeans, her Superga Cotu sneakers, and her Kiki McDonough Lauren leaf earrings.

Here are more photos from the day.


Websites: Kate Middleton Review Meghan Markle Review

120 thoughts on “William, Kate & Harry attend London Marathon”

    1. Kate was not sure what to do so it was great that Will and Harry were there to guide her.

      Looks like those white sneakers are going to be Kate’s “go to” shoe this UK summer? Will she end up with a closet full of the same thing like she has a closet full of fading spray on jeggings?

      Nice to see everyone had a good day in London at the Marathon? And I hope under the “Heads Together” banner that lots of money was raised for the charities?

      1. I hope lots of money was raised too. I’m glad at least they could bring more attention to the marathon and hopefully some of the participants liked seeing them.

        I don’t really mind the shoes. At least they’re appropriate for this type of event. I DO mind her insistence on wearing a different striped top to every Heads Together marathon event. I mean it’s weird and confusing to wear a different iteration of the same top to every marathon event. Her closet must be just racks and racks of super tight jeggings and striped tops.

        1. Or those suede grey shoes. I hate those boat shoes. I actually like these whites shoes. Plus it’s better than buying new shoes each event. I’m glad she keeps re wearing them. Nothing wrong with a classic white tennis shoe.

          1. I agree Rhiannon!

            I hope she will throw them before they get as grubby as those horrible boat shoes?

            I had thought Kate was improving over the last week, then I saw the group photo where Kate is still standing, holding herself like she is the only person in the photo. She would be more relatable if she interacted with others in the shot, like Harry? It makes me feel like she’s not there yet?

          3. I’ve had to replace my Cotu’s a few times over the years. Once they get grubby they’re done for. But a great wardrobe staple and don’t cost the moon.

  2. I’m really surprised at this. London was heaving yesterday you really couldn’t move at key points like the Cutty Sark so if security was the reason for them not running I’m surprised it was ok to be in the crowd. I think it would have been easier to let her run but just not announce it in advance. All runners can be tracked by a chip in their shoe and of course find my iPhone so security would have been able to roll along the route. Such a shame they didn’t run. That would have been very news worthy.

    1. Why would they want to, that’s real work!

      Beatrice did it. They could do it. I could see Harry wanting to but if W&K weren’t, he wouldn’t do it either.

    3. I wouldn’t want to run a marathon, so I don’t think it’s a bad thing if they just didn’t want to run a marathon. It’s not for everyone, and there is nothing wrong with that.

      1. Agree KMR. Regarding the splashing of water, I saw some comments saying this was dengerous because it could be acid o something bad. I thought it was rude.

        I have a question. I saw some people complaining in DM about calling Kate “Kate Middleton” and not “Duchess of Cambridge” (that old question of calling Kate in a more formal way) and some people answered that she should be called Kate Middleton because this was an informal event. Well, if so, we should not call Prince William and Prince Harry but only William and Harry. And if the queen appeared at this event, should we call her Elizabeth, not Queen? What do you think?

        1. I would say that whoever was saying it was correct to call her “Kate Middleton” because it was an informal event was incorrect. I’ve never heard of that happening. No, no one would have called the Queen “Elizabeth” if she had done this event. Whatever we choose to call Kate, her title is “The Duchess of Cambridge” and she would always been referred to as that at an official engagement, formal or informal. This may have been “informal” as in not dressed up, but this was not private time for her. This was an official public engagement. The DM, or any other publication, calling her “Kate Middleton” would have absolutely nothing to do with whether it was a formal or informal event.

      2. My point was that by running they would have raised the HT profile much more. Getting really stuck in to something that is more difficult than turning up making inane statements and looking pretty is getting boring. Actually getting stuck in…this is the time in their lives when they can actually do stuff like this . When they are heir etc it will be more difficult. They could have done the junior half marathon that took place over the same course for example.

        1. I understand wanting them to get more involved in stuff, I want that, too. I initially said it was a bummer that they weren’t running themselves, but having thought about it more I think if they had run themselves then the focus would have been all on them, even more than it already is, and the fact that they ran a marathon.

          1. Kate would never want to look sweaty in public which would happen while running a marathon. Even though she is better at the sporty events, she still doesn’t do much physical activity in public.

      3. Running a marathon is not for me either. I don’t understand why people use it against others. I have done a dance to raise money at university. Beatrice if I remember correctly was part of the team, has a personal trainer and did it with friends. I think it comes down to why you want to run a marathon. To look good on facebook or because you are athletic and want to support a cause.

        1. I don’t think anyone runs a marathon to look good on Facebook. It’s very hard, challenging and demands huge mental reserves. No reason why young fit royals couldn’t do it. The three royals surely have access to personal trainers and indeed celebrities, sportsmen or just friends who would run with them

  3. In the group photo Kate looked Super awkward even though she was smiling from ear to ear. She was clasping her hands ever so tightly in front of her as if to signal ” don’t touch me”
    She could have just relax and put her arms around the competitors. She’s not a “people person” and at this stage in her life it’s almost impossible to change. She can smile and hug someone but there’s no warmth or empathy. Not a good Queen material, just materialistic?!

    1. I find it interesting how Harry’s body language is so different from William and Kate’s. He’s open and warm, touching people, and they are closed off to the point of it screams “get away from me” despite the photo op smiles and clapping? Is that just me though?

      1. No Elliie, you’re not alone with this feeling. Kate only brightened up when she’s in contact with William and Harry. But she gives a different vibe with other people except her other family members.

      2. It is not just you Ellie, I see this too. And Kate always looks more relaxed with Harry than with William, I feel. William is that type of person who is not warm, he smiles but there is no empathy. Kate is like this too.

        1. If these were photos of strangers I would think it was Harry and Kate who were a couple. She is always relaxed around him. I do hope Kate makes a determined effort to welcome Meghan – or whoever else Harry is in a relationship with .

      3. I agraee with all. Harry is much more at ease with people. He just radiates warmth. Not everyone does and Kate, even when smiling, did look nervous about being near folks. William has that uppity look about him most of the time, to me.

        As for the water splashing, if done with intent, it was very rude. And, yes, it could have been anything which could have harmed the trio. Just a stupid thing to do, if you ask me. Stupid and rude.

      4. I can’t wait until Harry has an official partner to bring to events. It makes me sad to see him as the third wheel. In the photo that was taken from the back of the three, W’s hand is on Kate’s back and Harry’s is on William’s. It just bothers me to see him solo, even if he’s part of a trio.

      5. William always looks uncomfortable in group pictures. Hunched into himself his own cc going on.
        Kate’s hugs are almost as awkward as her clapping.
        Meanwhile harry usually has his arms spread wide to envelope people.
        Harry’s so good when he works, he just needs to do more of it

    2. I think Kate is just too nervous and worried all the time about what to do and say. Given that the media picks them to pieces and anything they do and say is all over the internet I think it takes away all her confidence. And William is much the same. He hates the media and doesn’t particularly want to cooperate and is so conscious of his position that it strips him of all spontaneity and natural warmth.

  4. So they did ‘so much’ this week that they don’t have another engagement for almost 3 weeks? I really don’t see how much good their cause did. I’m curious to see how much they keep supporting mental illness.

    Also, it has been driving me nuts that William keeps taking credit for ‘taking the lid off a boiling pot’, when really their big cause didn’t do much other than pass out headbands that hardly anyone wore during the marathon. Sorry I’m just really disappointed in heads together- it almost feels like something set up to make the Royals appear busy. This big build up to the marathon was really underwhelming in the end. They made it sound like it would be epic. I guess I don’t see what good it did. Hopefully a few years down the road will prove me wrong. But sadly it seems like a flash in the pan

    1. It is always like this Overit. The worked one week and disappears for almost 3 wekkes. Ridiculous. And we are supposed to take them seriously in their “work”. You said you are curious to see how much they keep supporting mental illness, well, while this cause keeps bring them good PR they will talk about mental helth, and be prepared for more “revelations” from the trio about their “problems”. Willam and Harry talks about their mother but their father is forgot. I love Diana but she was no angel. She also cheated on her husband and because of her ginger lover until today there are people who question the paternity of Harry. Prince Charles kept photos of Diana all over their home so the boys would have that comfort of her presence – and these two snits can’t give him any credit? Charles was the one that gave Diana a state funeral, HM was against it, At least that’s what I heard. I dont understand Harry and Will why all of a sudden they are going against the family trying to look like celebrities and being so personal. Playtime is over – grow up and make your contribution. Stop with the phony pr and accept not just your privilege but your obligation. William and Harry are acting like a renegade – so either leave and get out of the way – or stop with the shit and earn your privilege.

        1. That was just announced today, a day after Jamel’s comment was posted. At time of Jamel’s comment posting, Kate didn’t have any events scheduled publicly until May 13.

  5. Well, I will state some positives. This week they really followed through and showed up and supported the runners. Kate was an equal participant, talking just as much at the picnic video as Will and Harry. She offered hugs to marathon runners, and looked genuinely happy during the race. She wore appropriate shoes there too. Sports really is her thing, and I find this more beneficial to the public than her sailing Trust.

    I read that they raised over 10 million, too. That’s terrific. And, they say they will continue to campaign for mental health causes.

    But, will Heads Together be well run and distribute the money in a timely and fair fashion? And, will the campaign get some concrete goals in the future? I have my doubts, as often it has seemed directionless.

    1. I agree with you. I’m all for criticism when she/they doesn’t/don’t do anything. But when something happens, and this got all three of them out and actually participating, I think it’s bad sportsmanship to keep complaining. OK, they aren’t perfect. She isn’t perfect. But perfection takes time. And if she’s got a confidence boost out of doing it then all the better. Perhaps she’ll get more stuck in on things that interest her.

      Am I holding my breath? No. But I’m not going to shade them for not being perfect this last week. They all got out and did their bit.

  6. I have high hopes for the continuation of HT. The narrative needs to continue along with meaningful and purposeful next steps.

    I think Harry excelled here. In another post, someone said it’s okay if William is not a people person. However, he need to find a way to try as it’s his job to interact. Maybe he needs smaller, intimate situations. As far as Kate, she’s so closed off. Runners will not give you the cooties. Maybe smelly, wet hugs. I volunteer at a lot of races. I’ve been sprayed with water, received a muddy hug and even kissed someone on the cheek for luck. Saying that, I don’t find the water toss to be offensive. I’ve seen and experienced much worse.

    Thanks for all your coverage over the last few days, KMR!.

    1. Yes rhiannon, the narrative of mental health really needs to continue but If the trio were more involved with the doctors and therapists who treat their patients suffering from mental health issues. They seem to be more if not only concerned with the mentally ill sufferers. The suggestions for a certain group of people who are in a lot of emotional pain for similar reasons, like loss of a loved one or seeing death around them, to just talk isn’t very effective.

      1. Exactly. So awareness is now raised. Now is the time to let the professionals come forward and provide solutions and options.

      2. What are you talking about? Kate gave hugs to sweaty and not sweaty runners. She and will were laughing with the guy who sprayed them with water, google it alot of websites (Jezebel and others) have the pictures. (Only dm stated she was not amused and they used one picture where she is smirking.)

        Anyway great that they raised a lot of money.

          2. @ok

            I think on this one, we’ll have to agree to disagree.

            I ‘m going to do other things now so I won’t be replying to this post anymore.

        3. +1 wondering if I’m looking at the same photos as some of the other commenters? They all look super engaged and like they’re having a great time interacting with runners. I guess people see what they want to see sometimes.

          1. totally agree – i also think people forget that these types of cameras have super fast shutter speeds, so we are seeing the split second changes as one moves from “what just happened?” to “that’s hilarious!”

          2. I think that both William and Kate did laugh at the water spray, and as has been said one picture out of many doesn’t do justice. I wonder if the one that indicates ‘one is not amused’ is simply shock at being hit with cold water. In looking at others they were smiling and laughing. Not so sure that if it were me, I wouldn’t be a bit stunned myself. As far as running in the marathon, I think that it was wise not to since the cameras would have been all over the place and might have actually gotten in the way. I am not saying that this wasn’t a pr event, or a photo op, but there are a lot of people who are enchanted with ‘royalty’ and despite my disdain as an American their presence did create some nice memories for those who aren’t disdainful. So, motives set aside it was a good time for a lot of people, and if the trio calls it a day on this cause, so be it. As said, now it’s time to let the pros do their awesome thing. Just the news articles have at least brought this issue to the attention of some, and there’s no way that can be a bad thing.

  7. Why not capitalise on the ‘Kate Effect’ and make those jackets available to buy? Credit where credit is due – they stuck with the campaign, turned up, were engaged. Even more credit for the marathon runners – incredible work.

    But… somewhere along the line the names of the Heads Together charities have been mentioned less and less – as so much of this campaign is on raising awareness. More of a focus on CALM, Place2Be etc would have been nice.

    Also, the Heads Together website is down or in a post-marathon rest!

    1. The HT website still works for me.

      I agree it was a missed opportunity to raise money by not selling those HT branded jackets.

      1. I don’t think they can sell the jackets (or any other merchandise) until they resolve the legal issue surrounding the name. Heads Together is the name of a human resources firm and the owner isn’t happy that the royals have co-opted her idea.

      2. My company firewall is blocking which probaby says more about my employer than HT.

        I’ve always wondered why they don’t use the Kate Effect to raise more money for her patronages – if she was spotted shopping with a Natural History Museum Tote, or wore a cool NPG tote, she’d maintain awareness of her causes and people would buy the items. That said, I’d avoid wearing the HT headband for more formal occassions

          1. I hope they come to realise just how rich a forum like KMR – with posters from different walks of life, countries and views – can be for the trio.
            Personally reading this blog has definitely helped me broaden my perspective and even question my own beliefs around some issues.
            KMR, thank you for running such a wonderful forum and thanks to the posters for enriching KMR’s content!

    2. There has been an increasing focus on HT and the trio and less and less on the partner charities actually providing mental health services. This approach raises the profile of the HT shell, and certainly makes the trio appear busy. But the link between the partner charities and people needing to know who to access is lost in the midst of promoting three celebrities along with airing their personal angst.

      I wonder how much has been raised so far under the HT umbrella, and how much will be allocated to the partner charities? I recall at some HT gala last year charity partner reps were kept away from big donors who were being courted by HT people. Let’s hope the Royal Foundation does the right thing and allocates a decent amount to these charities.

        1. That was indeed moving and heartening. I hope Sophia Pitt (a commenter here) sees the article; she mentioned that her daughter suffers from the same disorder.

          1. It is most touching and shows how people can and do care for others. I also hope that Sophia Pitt sees this. I am glad you posted the link. I admire Sophia’s devotion to her daughter and the inner strength and love she shows on a daily basis.

        2. This is the same pair William met with a while ago when doing one of his events for male suicide awareness/prevention. They did make a video, if memory serves. That article talks about the meeting with Will.

          1. Sarah,
            Thank you for posting this link, I have just read it. WOW, what an amazing pair, a real achievement they are both incredible people aren’t they!. I followed the story when they both met the Duke and Duchess. It was very humbling. The fact that they stay in touch speaks volumes of the characters of both especially the gentleman that intervened, a wonderful human being.
            And yes it is the same disorder that my daughter has, bless him.
            My daughter had only one friend, who was a sufferer of depression, it is just 12 months since she committed suicide, by jumping off a cliff. If only someone had of been there for her. I suppose it is fate, maybe in the right place at the right time etc..
            I think it is brilliant how my fellow bloggers on this site have come together and post things like this of either interest or in lovely Jen’s case things that are a real help or learning curve.
            Your kindness warms both our hearts.
            Jenny thank you for your kind words.
            KMR you should be very proud of your blog, not only is it up to date and accurate but a meeting point of some amazing people, world wide. Reading the comments in my case a lot of the time is a real learning curve all things royal and a real diversion it puts your mind elsewhere for a time and it is fantastic.
            Thank you for all you do, I don’t think in my case it is said enough

    3. It’s one thing that bugs me about this,um, among others, is we hear very little about the charities involved.

      The HT campaign raised ten million pounds. I hope the charities see that money and FAST! Instead of it vanishing into the ether. Imagine what a boon that would be to these organizations, it’s great and shows what royal patronage can do.

      1. Maybe auction off the jackets that the trio wore? I don’t know about the laws and copyrights, but I do know that something like this would sell. Not my thing, but whatever brings money into this field is good. Very good.

  8. While I don’t think the overall week leading up to the race was that well orchestrated (Get a new PR firm), I will give credit to the Royals for working so many days. We can all argue as to what “Working” means, but they were out there!

    I would have appreciated a different approach taken than the one they continue to hammer home. That being, “just start a conversation with someone.,” However, if this helped even a handful of people, that is good and now the next step in the campaign should go towards the meat and potatoes of mental health challenges. I hope it does, anyway.

    Kate did seem to be enjoying herself, and as others said, she does thrive under such sporting events. Glad to hear that money was raised for HT. What it goes for will be interesting to find out.

    Congrats to all who ran in the marathon. Such a major challenge! I’m impressed by the dedication and hard work of people who run.

  9. Jamel said above: “while this cause keeps bring them good PR they will talk about mental health”. Spot on.

    Yesterday it was reported that, unlike their original plan, which was to peak with the marathon (basically co-opted by them) and then ditch HT, they now want to continue. Hmm.

    I’m looking at the photos above, the photos all week, videos, BBC interview, and it occurs to me that we are seeing the carefully orchestrated rise of celebrities, not royals. There was no hard work involved at all. They lent their names to something and their images, and that’s it. So, their continuance of this charade makes perfect sense- they can swan in with little effort and take a ton of credit and look damned fine and cutting edge with their ‘work’.

    Meanwhile, as Jen points out, what about their charities? Does anyone know which ones they are? All we’ve seen is a bunch of almost middle aged people having fun. Even though the rumour is that they raised 10 million, given their consistent lying, I want to see the books. Some royal watchers may remember the charities but most won’t and I surely don’t.

    They also plan on continuing a digital campaign- man, this will be such hard work for them! You don’t even have to bring the body! Just. Ugh.

    They are cheered at this advantageous celebration of themselves while the charities are an afterthought, *not* front and centre as they should be. Nor do we know how effective any of this is, except for one fact- it raises and defines the profiles of the Tiresome Threesome, their jolly images and vapid words plastered everywhere. And just because they think this has been successful for the charities it doesn’t make it so. It’s been successful for *them*.

    1. I wholeheartedly agree, Maven.

      I mentioned above the gradual slide from a campaign that included the charity partners to this current incarnation that primarily publicises (1) HT, which is just an umbrella term, and (2) the trio, who have brought their bodies but no insight and after a year of showing up, even less knowledge. Has anyone noticed or are they all caught up in headbands and royal sightings? The trio has defaulted to repeating a slogan along with inarticulate blathering. The campaign has been good for the WKH brands in that some of the work-shy accusations /growing critiques that have dogged them are momentarily replaced with an allegedly hugely successful endeavour. I don’t know how success is measured in this instance. It will be interesting to see:
      • How the trio intends to continue;
      • How much money has been raised since HT’s inception;
      • What percentage of funds raised goes to partner charities;
      • Other costs incurred.

    2. Maven, I’m with you. If they continue and it helps HT, that is fine, but the celebrity aspect of this, rather than any hard work, is telling. The fuss made over their intentions obviously stroked the egos immensely. I am naive enough to say that I do want to believe their intentions are noble and that they will work hard in the future. The jaded part of me, just thinks, “Oh, another feather in their caps and now on to Pippa’s wedding and more PR.”And, that’s when the kids will surface and make everything so dear and darling!

  10. These pictures are great and I’m glad they had a good time and were there participating but, for me, it’s like…..now what? All this hype and no substance.

    The site that I submitted my story to, The Mighty, has a section on/for/regarding mental illness where various individuals share their story from all sorts of angles and about various types of mental illness. I wish someone in K.P. (paging, Jason) would read these stories and really learn so that W, K & H can be better patrons for their respective charities and make HT fantastic.

    Here is the section that I’m talking about:

    https://themighty.com/mental-illness/

      1. You’re welcome. There are a variety of illnesses (chronic, mental, physical) that are mentioned via various individuals who actually live it on a daily basis. Being able to contribute, even just a small bit, to help make someone else’s experience easier (and to make them understand that they aren’t alone), allows our discomfort/suffering/being the “guinea pig” survivor and consumer of “cocktail” of drugs twice a day, all worth it.

        1. I gave my comments re. your article when you posted it (can’t recall when) but I’m sure it will be helpful to family, friends and employers, as well as those with chronic illnesses. It’s a generous act to share your experiences.

      1. You are very welcome, Sophia Pitt! I’ve been going through it this evening to give me ideas on what to write about next! 🙂

  11. I’ve read that KP has decided that since this HT initiative was so well received by the public, they will continue it post-marathon.

    Firstly, i’ll say, good. And i hope they learn the nuances of the task they’ve undertaken.

    That out of the way, i’m pissed off. How dare they make such a bone-headed, tone deaf statement? Especially after all the articles saying mental health was going to be their core cause plus that cozy oktosay chat between the 3 saying it was the common core of all their disperate causes.

    So this was just a one off exercise and not a long term commitment? Do they understand that mental health and ‘starting a conversation’ is for life and not for christmas?

    Do they not understand that people need support all the time even if they don’t ask for it?

    If this had gone down like a lead balloon would they have backed down because they are only interested in being popular and or being seen positively?

    It’s doubly ergregious of them to use the Diana card to get sympathy and popularity for this cause if they were only doing it for popularity and not a genuine commitment to the cause because for all her faults, she remained committed to the causes she initiated.

    Ditto their father.

    What a flaming pile of turds the 3 of them are, if this is true.

    ??

    3. +1. The self-serving nature of this campaign has made me furious, too, Herazeus. If over the past year they had made genuine inroads, I’d applaud them but this seems to be about three people needing to become popular and look relevant with their ‘work’ when they are not.

      People who volunteer their time and expertise, charities dedicated to those who would get no help have been used as photo-op props. The carefully orchestrated play for sympathy last week aka the Diana card was sheer public manipulation. For all the talk about honoring their mother, the best way would be to follow her example. Nah, too much effort.

      1. Here is article from Camilla Tominey

        http://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/795108/Royals-William-Kate-Harry-mental-health-campaign-continues

        And what is even more annoying is that the money raised by this campaign is apparently not going to their charity partners, but to digital mental health initiatives.

        No wonder we heard less and less about the charity partners. They were used to give authenticity to the HT initiative, potential donors kept away from them gecause people assumed money to HT would be funnelled to the charities, and now it turns out it is going to be used for other initiatives rather than the charities.

        ?????????????????

        2. If this is true, all that ten million will be taken in by HT and not given to the charities which is I assume what the charities want, I am FURIOUS.

          The folks at the Great White Wall (Big White Wall? I don’t remember, the digital service Harry visited) were blunt: we need money. Please help us. Or we will close, and that will be horrendous.

        3. Not necessarily, though I’d like this statement from Camilla Tominey unpacked further:

          “Almost £10million …which will be ploughed back into digital initiatives to help people with mental health problems, better training for counsellors and more research into depression and other conditions.”

          Is this money being distributed to the eight charities for them to train more counsellors? If so, good, because the charities could not meet the demand for their services. Research into depression, good. There’s a huge amount to be done. The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health here is Australia does superb work. I’m thinking that the charities might want ongoing digital services to be expanded simply because there are too few face-to-face services available; not a cure but maybe a help.

          What I’d like to know is what the charities would find most useful and whether this announcement is their combined and considered thoughts or whether this is where a RF board wants to place the money. Also want to know if all monies raised will be invested in the charities. In other words, full and transparent accountability.

          1. I thought that HT was an umbrella org supporting grassroots organisations. To give any of that money to research is like feeding a giant maw- it’s a juggernaut in itself and HT contributions a mere drop in the bucket. It does not help at a basic level.

            Why are they an umbrella org for local communities if they are going to disperse monies hither and thither and ignore already defined fundamental social needs locally? This is dumb. And grandiose.

            How stupid is this? They are encouraging people to talk and seek help, but yeah, wait for the research to come in and then we’ll get to you. Were people told they were donating to research? If I knew that I wouldn’t contribute. What they heck is their mission?

          2. The HT campaign was always a muddle in terms of message and pretty much everything else. The last interviews around the picnic table – a year after commencing HT – were an exercise in self-indulgence and being hopelessly inarticulate.

            Did the 8 charities nominate these three areas? They are the best people to know, being at the coalface. I’d imagine they do need many more counsellors, though I note that Camilla ‘s article says ‘better trained counsellors’ which does not necessarily equate to more counsellors.

            If the charities are also involved with research (maybe with universities and other organisations) I can see where targeted results from research filters through to health professionals and patients. It’s a matter of trialling and adjusting. The patient is as much involved as the health professional.

            Digital expansion means greater coverage. But it needs to develop significantly from passive sites to interactive engagement combining expertise from visionary thinkers, techies, and health professionals. Whether that happens in this instance, who knows. it’s all still too fluid at this point. We’ll need to see how the money flows.

          3. I am very disappointed and honestly kind of shocked that they were so deceptive about what the money raised was ultimately going to go towards. Unless I am mistaken weren’t they somewhat clear in the beginning that this was an umbrella organization with 8 partner charities that they were raising awareness and money for? Does this kind of sound like a charity scam to anyone else that the money raised is not going towards anything they said it would? I want to see the financial statement. I want a clear, transparent breakdown of the 10 million and where it went. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprise if a hung chunk of it went to overhead costs and other shady things and not you know actual mental health initiatives.

          4. Carter: me too.

            I’m sure KMR archives will confirm that the money raised was going to the charity partners.

            That’s why when a royal reporter tweeted out that donors were being kept away from individual charity fundraiser at a reception hosted by H and K in favour of conversations with HT fundraisers, i didn’t comment because i thought the idea was for money to go to HT and funnelled to the individual charities. Having the donors give to the vharities as well as HT would dilute the intentions (and money).

            The point of all those HT events at charity partners was to emphasise the links, right?

            I’m sure the charity partners were also mentioned in the launch.

            Now we find the money raised is going to digital initiatives and no mention of the charity partners.

            I don’t think the ommission is an accident.

        4. I’m sorry but digital my initatives seems like a big waste of money to me when all I read about is funding being cut.
          How many counselors could that staff or people in call centers?
          This money could be better spent to help people directly

    4. I guess we know now why the three of them kept repeating themselves and why the campaign never evolved into anything substantial: they weren’t planning on it lasting.

      I think this is an unpopular opinion, but I have been side eyeing for a while whenever either of them bring up Diana. They’ve been using her name for PR for a long time. This isn’t the first time. I am sure they do genuinely love and miss her, but they absolutely know that she and her memory are PR gold that they’ve been using for years. Another unpopular opinion perhaps, but given how adept Diana was at PR, I am not sure she’d mind especially as they seem to do it (in part) to spite their Dad.

    6. Since the HT “sort of” campaign worked well for them, they will keep it going? So it was mostly about PR. I’m so disgusted and infuriated by this.

    7. Well, I hadn’t considered those things so now I’m torn. However, I do want to add my thanks to KMR for her work, and the posters for their insights. I haven’t a doubt that this was totally self serving, a deflection from their total lack of gratitude and their totally undeserved lavish lifestyle paid for by others. I hope the other posters will forgive me for being so wishy washy, I am a victim of untreated and unacknowledged mental illness, people who wouldn’t admit their inadequacies, drs who knew and turned a blind eye to unspeakable and destructive child abuse. I can and do relate, my son is schizophrenic, and I suffer from ptsd and serious depression. However, that has enabled me to talk with others and offer something. I know. So, yes, it’s pathetic to use this illness as a pr exercise and photo op, but as repugnant as I find this to be, again any good that comes out of it for whatever reason??Again, forgive me for being wishy washy and conflicted, and sorry to get so personal. Thanks again, KMR and feel free to put me in my place if I went too far. I don’t count on those yahoos to give anymore than lip service, never have never will.

  12. I’m finding that I am feeling a bit out of sorts in regard to the “busy” week the trio had. It’s about time, frankly. But, to think that this was going to be it for HT and now, due to great exposure of the Royals, they will stay on? WHAT the ?????

    On a shallow level, I think they are dedicated to HT. As dedicated as they are capable of being . Harry, with his work with veterans seems to be more involved, but W and K seem to really believe they are helping. And, in some way, I guess they are.

    Not everyone reads things the way most commenters here do. Many people just take things at face value. And, most people seem to think the Royals did a great service to HT.

    I am happy if HT is getting good attention and I would like to see the involvement of this threesome become more than the standard, “Don’t hesitate talking to someone.” Time to call in the experts in the field of mental health and start educating the Royals as to what they need to focus on next.

    Of course, Jason, or a PR firm, will break all that down into easy sound bites that can be repeated over and over. But, if it brings more help, so be it.

      1. Yep. They can all get together again once in a while and press a button on a computer or whatever. This reminds me of Kate’s HuffPo ‘initiative’ for mental health at KP. She pressed ‘send’ and went shopping.

      2. Well, someone will press a button at some time. Don’t expect it to be a royal. Yes, I was reminded of the HuffPo build-up; it was everywhere and then the ‘editor for a day’ came down to a photo op and off for some retail therapy.

      3. “Almost £10million is believed to have been raised by The Royal Foundation and Heads Together, which will be ploughed back into digital initiatives to help people with mental health problems, better training for counsellors and more research into depression and other conditions.”

        Is this to be distributed to the eight partner charities?

        1. “more research into depression and other conditions.”

          Gah, could they be any more vague? This means nothing. Big. Fat. Zero. And yes, what about the charities? When do they get theirs?

          “better training for counsellors”

          Oh, really? What the heck. Counsellors are counsellors because they *are* trained. What is needed is more counsellors and more support services. What the heckity heck?

          The digital stuff is ridiculous and completely self-serving. Again, they have no plan except further self-aggrandisement.

          Exactly what does HT now mean?

        2. Not according to that statement.

          It very clearly talks about digital initiatives and nothing about their charity partners.

          There is no mention at all of charity partners.

          1. Maybe we can flood them with complaining emails. Pissed off people can do something about it. Because if true this pisses me off so much.

            (I don’t blame the royals for that, though. It’s all on the HT organization itself and the people in it. I doubt WK&KH make those calls or have anything to do with where the money goes.)

          2. Ellie, HT is a campaign name to corral the eight charity partners under one name. It is an initiative of W+K+ H’s Royal Foundation, which funds their interests. I assume, then, that they decide where the money goes. At least, this is what I understand from their website.

          3. Heads Together was founded by William, Kate, and Harry. It’s their campaign and organization. Considering that, I would assume they have a lot of say in the direction of the organization and where the money raised goes towards.

          4. They don’t run it nor do they seem to have much involvement in it, not like Charles and The Prince’s Trust, OR Harry and Sentebale and Invictus; you know they are deeply involved in where money goes, what happens to it, what do they support, blah-blah, but with The Royal Foundation you know nothing since W&K don’t give a crap. They show up, what, once or twice a year for a meeting but leave the handling to the professionals who get paid to do so. I figure they only hear about what goes on during board meetings which they probably pay little attention to.

            Not like W&K care much. This has given them plenty of hero worship, accolades on being so wonderful, when it has done nothing.

            Those ten million pounds damn well better be given to those charities.

            Can we write The Royal Foundation/HT you think regarding this issue?

          5. What is a digital initiative? And I agree that counselors are trained, it would be nice to have the government subsidize their treatments so more could afford the help they need w/o going bankrupt. The people who actually work where the rubber meets the road are underpaid and victims of burn out, no worries for the yes yes yes self serving trio there.

  13. Is it just me, or does Kate have better chemistry with Harry than with William? It seems like I see a lot of pictures of her and Harry talking.

    1. Harry has good chemistry with everyone. His chemistry with Kate is notable only because of the lack of chemistry between Kate and William.

      I think that in the beginning, WK didn’t want to give the friends/ media/ public any evidence of their relationship. And over the years that became the norm for them.

    2. KM’s chemistry with Harry often crosses the line between SIL and flirtatious wannabe “gal pal.” There’s one photo in particular where they are walking in a cathedral and KM is grinning over her shoulder at Harry with her back slightly arched that telegraphed her strange need for a man to appreciate her. It was during a formal event. Her inappropriate flirtatious manner toward H had gotten to the point that it was bizarre. Soon after that cathedral service, Harry slightly disengaged and there weren’t as many photos of KM and H giggling inappropriately at formal events.

      The only time I’ve seen her genuinely delighted with W without smiling like a lunatic is when W held her hand while walking to Christmas service a couple of years ago. She looked really happy that he was paying her attention in public.

      1. I remember those! Weren’t those moments during the Jubilee Year in 2012? I think so!

        Another time was the day Charlotte was born, when they were leaving the hospital. Kate was looking at William so eagerly that it was clear that that type of affection is rare. Sad, really.

        1. Hi, Kimothy. I’m thinking of the formal event in St. Mark’s June 2016. The two of them giggled flirtatiously while W looked elsewhere to ignore them. KM was enjoying H’s attention, oblivious to the service. I’m typing on my phone, otherwise I would include a link.

    3. I think Kate lives for male attention. Harry, being Harry, is very open and caring when he’s with people. Kate does seem to act rather flirty when she’s with him. She also seems to thrive on being the chick in the middle. Between two men, that is.

      I know it’s been mentioned on this blog by others that she does not seem to have female friends. I guess she is close to Pippa and does lean heavily on her staff, but does anyone know if she does have any female friends? Or, just any friends?

      It’s sad to be her age and think that she has not a friend in the world. A real friend. Someone who is supportive, whom she can support, too. Someone to share things with and have a good time with. Oh, well, I just wonder…

  14. KMR’s post on 24 April 2016:
    “Because I’m always interested in where the money goes, on the Heads Together FAQs page the question, “Where will my money go?” is answered with this: “If you are successful in getting one of our Heads Together charity places in the London Marathon 2017, all the money you raise will go directly to the charity you chose on your application form.””

    Checking the Head Together FAQ page today, “What will my money be used for?” the reply is this:

    “To ensure the right help is available to anyone seeking mental health support wherever they are and whenever they need it, funds raised for Heads Together will be invested in a range of new and innovative projects, and in programmes to meet immediate need. Some of the funding will enable Heads Together to fulfil the demand created by the campaign – our partners have seen on average a 50% increase in demand for their services since Heads Together was launched in May 2016 and this investment will enable them to increase and improve their response.

    Additionally a combination of new projects and initiatives are being considered:
    • Using digital technology to improve the quality and availability of education about mental health.
    • Improving resources for schools, employers and the military to enable people to get support wherever they are
    • Using digital technology to transform signposting to appropriate support
    • Using digital technology to increase the availability of support online

    All of the funding is being used to ensure people can access the right help, in the right place at the right time and the projects will be an exciting new phase of Heads Together to follow the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon.”
    https://www.headstogether.org.uk/faqs/

      1. This is infuriating. What does “digital technologies” even mean? It sounds like they are going to have more/better web pages to help guide people to mental health services. Nobody needs that! Give the money to the charities you originally supported, the ones who are already working with the mentally ill. Nobody who gave money to this campaign thought it would go to web developers.

        1. Digital technologies are electronic tools, systems, devices and resources that generate, store or process data. These includes social media, online games and applications, multimedia, productivity applications, cloud computing, interoperable systems and mobile devices.

          It can be helpful but I would like to see more details.

  15. http://m.huffpost.com/ca/entry/16197838

    I think this article makes some good points especially concerning how mental health has become the fashion able cause of the momen and how the royals and other celebrities don’t talk about certain mental illnesses like schizophrenia or bI polar disorder. Really, they only talk about anxiety or depression and only on the surface level. They don’t really get to the heart of the issue.

    It just seems to me that they are afraid to get their hands dirty. They like the idea of mental health, bUT only if it gives them good PR for a photo op.

    I am just not too impressed by Heads Together. And after reading comments here and discovering that the trio planned to stop working with mental health after the marathon but they have now changed their minds, well, I am not impressed. If their interest is that fleeting they should leave the subject of mentail health to those who really care to make a commitment to it long term, not just when it is trendy.

    1. +1.

      Thanks for the spot-on article. The trio knew it was a cause with a limited time frame, hence its lack of development – and our collective confusion as to why. I think all three are uncomfortable with serious mental illnesses so stuck to the surface, to conditions within the normal range of emotions. Unfortunately, that approach muddied the waters. Yeah, they should step away now. Wonder if others have responded like people here have.

      1. Now that it’s been made clear that HT was a temporary “enterprise” it’s clear why the trio never took it all that seriously, at least at the level that real professionals do. I guess there’s some comfort in knowing for sure that it is/will be a passing fad for them. I also doubt that their charities received much funding after the PR, events, events tat, and any staff work are paid for.

        1. I think it was Grace H who wrote here a while ago how foundations work eg how much needs to be invested before interest can be allocated etc; wish I could find it again! Once accounts are released we’ll know what went where. With things like foam fingers and headbands, I’d have hoped Virgin would have sponsored these.

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