Prince Harry Will Anonymously Be Answering Calls and Text Messages Supporting People in Crisis

Zara Hanawalt

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Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton were on hand to celebrate six months since the launch of Shout, a crisis line that provides mental health support via text on Tuesday — but that’s not the only way the royals will get involved in the service.

Nancy Lublin, the CEO, and co-founder of Shout spoke out about the royal couple’s important role within the service…and she shared that Shout users may have some unexpected communication with Prince William himself.

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“They are so lovely. It’s amazing how much he knows about the service,” Lublin tells PEOPLE. “And he reiterated that his plan is to train and become a crisis counselor…When you’re really busy, and/or really famous, it’s very hard to volunteer. It what’s nice about this — it’s totally anonymous. He could be the guy at the end of the phone.”

Since Shout operates via text messaging, it’s entirely possible that a user could be receiving support from the prince and have no idea — after all, they wouldn’t be able to hear that telltale voice!

It goes without saying, however, that balancing this new venture alongside Prince William’s royal obligations isn’t easy — and let’s not forget that having three children undoubtedly keeps him pretty busy as well. According to Lublin, Prince William is working hard to incorporate crisis counselor training into his busy schedule, and is taking this commitment very seriously.

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“Catherine and I, and Harry and Meghan couldn’t be more proud of what Shout has accomplished. We’re hugely proud and hugely grateful to all of you for being part of this.” — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined @GiveUsAShoutInsta’s special #CrisisVolunteer celebration event, bringing together people from across the UK who volunteer around the clock with Shout to support people in crisis. As volunteers access their shifts from computers in their own homes, the event was an excellent opportunity for this virtual community to meet and see the scale of the national network they have joined. Shout is a 24/7 text support service which was researched and developed by The Royal Foundation as a legacy of the @Heads_Together Campaign, and launched by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex @SussexRoyal in May 2019. The service has since seen volunteers exchange 6 million messages with people in crisis — thank you to all the incredible Shout volunteers! #Shout85258 Swipe 👉 to see more photos from today’s celebrations. 📷 PA / Shout / Kensington Palace

A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Nov 12, 2019 at 7:21am PST

Prince William isn’t the only royal with a vested interest in Shout. He and Middleton launched the service along with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle earlier this year as an affiliate of the U.K.’s Crisis Text Line.

“They’re really the first celebrities around the world to really take on mental health,” Lublin told People of the royals’ involvement. “It’s been so personal and they’ve done such a fantastic job elevating the issue and reducing stigma.”

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