Prince William and Kate Middleton are due to visit South Bank tomorrow (October 9th) for a two-day summit on mental health.
The royal couple are to attend the first-ever Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit at County Hall.
The couple will join leading academics, policy makers and patients from more than 30 countries for the summit at the Belvedere Street venue, which aims to promote evidence-based treatments for mental health.
The gathering will also discuss how countries can best work together to challenge the stigma against mental ill-health, particularly among young people.
The Duke of Cambridge has previously been candid about his own struggles with mental health and the need to be open with your emotions.
Speaking to charity magazine CALMzine last year he said: “For too long there has been a taboo about talking about some important issues.
“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.”
Last month, the royal launched the Mental Health at Work website in partnership with MIND.
The site, funded by the Royal Foundation, helps managers support employees struggling with their mental health.
Matt Hancock, Health and Social Care Secretary, said: “It is shocking that 1 in 4 people in the world will be affected by mental ill-health at some point in their lives and around 450 million people are currently living with a diagnosed mental ill-health condition.
“For too long we have collectively failed to grasp the true magnitude of the problem.
“We owe it to everyone to put mental and physical health on an equal footing, to try and eradicate the apathy towards mental health once and for all. I urge policy-makers and leaders to put mental health at the front of their minds.”