The Fab Four Just Unveiled a New Joint Project (and They've Been Secretly Working on It for Months)

Published May 10, 2019

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2:46pm

Grab the matching T-shirts, because it's a Fab Four Reunion, y'all! The Sussexes and the Cambridges are teaming up for a project about mental health awareness and crisis response, and it was secretly started months ago.

New parents Prince Harry and Meghan Markle—who welcomed their first child, Archie Harrison, into the world on May 6—along with Prince William and Kate Middleton, unveiled the new initiative called Shout on Thursday via social media. The new project is an extension of the Crisis Text Line in the U.K. that offers free and confidential mental health support via text.

The @SussexRoyal Instagram account showcased never-before-seen pictures from a meeting back in November, where Markle is wearing leather leggings and a floral patterned coat, believed to be from duchess-loved couture vintage resale store William Vintage (per Meghan's Mirror fashion blog).

The Shout initiative is a continuation of the Heads Together campaign that was launched by William, Kate and Harry back in 2016. The Sussexes, and particularly the Cambridges, have been very outspoken about their efforts to support mental health awareness.

Prince William and Middleton have been passionate advocates of mental health education through their Royal Foundation, and many of their patronages include charities that work to tackle stigma, raise awareness and provide help to those impacted by mental health difficulties. In 2017, Lady Gaga and Prince William had a FaceTime chat about the stigma surrounding mental health.

Early this morning, Prince William released a video encouraging people in the U.K. to become volunteers for crisis support.

A week ago, the Sussexes unfollowed 23 accounts and followed 16 new Instagram accounts aimed at putting a spotlight on mental illness for Mental Health Awareness month in May.

In April, Prince Harry and Oprah announced they were teaming up for a documentary series for Apple's streaming service that “will focus on both mental illness and mental wellness, inspiring viewers to have an honest conversation about the challenges each of us faces, and how to equip ourselves with the tools to not simply survive, but to thrive.” The docuseries will launch in 2020.

Three days since royal baby Archie made his grand appearance and they're already (sorta) back to work. Royals...they are NOTHING like us.

Roberta Fiorito

Director, Branded Content + Cohost, Royally Obsessed Podcast

As Director of Branded Content at Gallery Media Group, Roberta helps oversee the ideation and execution of sponsored content and experiential campaigns across PureWow and ONE37pm, including PureWow’s 24 in ’24. She began her career in editorial nine years ago, and has written and edited countless articles on news, trends, fashion, beauty and the royal family. She’s also cohost of the Royally Obsessed podcast, named one of the best royals podcasts by The New York Times and Town & Country. She cowrote the book Royal Trivia: Your Guide to the Modern British Royal Family.

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