Surprise surprise, Prince William stepped out today for some events in northern England. I wonder when these events were thrown together? When Prince Harry confirmed that he would attend the May 8th Invictus service? Or when Buckingham Palace published a new portrait of King Charles, with the announcement that he would return to work? Probably both. Notice that no one is billing William’s events as stealing his father’s thunder on Charles’s first public event in a month… and yet Harry’s Invictus service announcement was declared an irritation and ‘pulling focus.”
Prince William is stepping out for two of his favorite causes. On the day that his father King Charles resumed public-facing duties for the first time since he revealed his cancer diagnosis in February, the Prince of Wales, 41, headed to the north-east of England for events highlighting the climate crisis and tackling mental health.
William, who is working solo while his wife Kate Middleton is undergoing treatment for cancer, began the morning with a visit to celebrate the work of Low Carbon Materials, a finalist for his environmental Earthshot Prize. The company based in Seaham, County Durham makes cutting-edge, carbon-negative products. While visiting, William heard their reflections on how being nominated for the Prize has boosted their company, which was set up by three Material Science PhD students with the vision of becoming a world leader in low-carbon and environmentally friendly construction materials.
The second visit for the prince (who celebrated his thirteenth wedding anniversary with Princess Kate on April 29) was to open James’ Place Newcastle, in the city of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. The charity provides a crucial lifeline for men experiencing suicidal thoughts and is the latest of several centers run by the charity that William has opened. The issue of men’s suicide also forms part of William’s wider mental health campaigning, and is something he’s taken a leading role in helping to raise awareness of.
I know it’s People Magazine, but I think everyone should avoid calling “the issue of men’s suicide” one of William’s “favorite causes.” He’s not giddy or happy or jazzed to talk about men’s mental health or suicide. That being said, I do find it interesting that he’s been doing more mental-health stuff lately though. He’s trying to re-launch himself as some kind of compassionate thought leader on mental health, rather than a violent, rage-filled jackass who desperately needs therapy.
Anyway, the photos from Low Carbon Materials are funny because the photographer, Oli Scarff, positioned himself so that William’s bald-ass head lined up perfectly with the LCM logo, to make it look like lines were shooting out of Huevo. It looks like Huevo is buffering. (I don’t know if this actually has a name, but the best version of this type of photography is Roger Federer and the Rolex crown.)
Photos courtesy of Oli Scarff/Avalon.