Prince William Speaks Out in Personal Video Message Amid Coronavirus

Stephanie Petit
·5 min read
Prince William Speaks Out in Personal Video Message Amid Coronavirus

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Prince William is calling for the U.K. to band together amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 37-year-old royal, who is second in line to the British throne, speaks directly to the camera in a new video shared on the Kensington Royal social media pages on Wednesday.

“Whenever and wherever adversity strikes, the people of the U.K. have a unique ability to pull together,” William says. “The way that local communities support those affected shows the very best of our values and human nature.”

He continues, “The public’s desire to help in the wake of tragedy needs to be managed and channelled in the best possible way — which is why the establishment of the National Emergencies Trust was so important. The NET has launched an appeal to raise funds to help local charities support individuals suffering hardship as a result of the #coronavirus outbreak.”

Kensington Royal/Instagram

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Whenever and wherever adversity strikes, the people of the UK have a unique ability to pull together. The way that local communities support those affected shows the very best of our values and human nature. The public’s desire to help in the wake of tragedy needs to be managed and channelled in the best possible way - which is why the establishment of the National Emergencies Trust was so important. The NET has launched an appeal to raise funds to help local charities support individuals suffering hardship as a result of the #coronavirus outbreak. Visit @national_emergencies_trust_ or the link in our bio to find out more.

A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Mar 18, 2020 at 10:40am PDT

The announcement comes hours after his brother Prince Harry and sister-in-law Meghan Markle spoke out about the need to support each other through the coronavirus outbreak.

“These are uncertain times. And now, more than ever, we need each other. We need each other for truth, for support, and to feel less alone during a time that can honestly feel quite scary,” they wrote on their joint Instagram page. “There are so many around the world who need support right now, who are working tirelessly to respond to this crisis behind the scenes, on the frontline, or at home. 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.”

View this post on Instagram

These are uncertain times. And now, more than ever, we need each other. We need each other for truth, for support, and to feel less alone during a time that can honestly feel quite scary. There are so many around the world who need support right now, who are working tirelessly to respond to this crisis behind the scenes, on the frontline, or at home. 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. We often speak of compassion. All of our lives are in some way affected by this, uniting each of us globally. How we approach each other and our communities with empathy and kindness is indisputably important right now. Over the coming weeks, this will be our guiding principle. We will be sharing information and resources to help all of us navigate the uncertainty: from posting accurate information and facts from trusted experts, to learning about measures we can take to keep ourselves and our families healthy, to working with organisations that can support our mental and emotional well-being. In addition, we will focus on the inspiring stories of how so many of you around the world are connecting in ways big and small to lift all of us up. We are all in this together, and as a global community we can support each other through this process – and build a digital neighbourhood that feels safe for every one of us. We look forward to sharing more over the days and weeks to come...

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Mar 18, 2020 at 8:17am PDT

The British royal family recently announced drastic changes to their spring schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic, with Queen Elizabeth canceling all of her palace garden parties this spring. However, she did hold an audience at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, one day before she is scheduled to move to Windsor Castle, 30 miles away from London.

VICTORIA JONES/POOL/AFP via Getty Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

Earlier this month, the royals appeared to have a much more lighthearted attitude about the coronavirus.

Prince William joked that he and wife Kate Middleton were “spreading coronavirus” during their three-day tour of Ireland.

“Sorry! We’re keeping an eye on that, so do tell us if we need to stop!” he said while chatting with a National Ambulance Service paramedic during a reception at Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse.

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And when Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles visited the London Transport Museum, Camilla quipped, “I’m self-isolating,” while ducking into a one-person air raid shelter.