A child got the surprise of his life this morning when the Prince of Wales turned up at his school after receiving a letter last year inviting him to see their mental health initiatives.
Freddie Hadley, 12, posted his letter on X, formerly Twitter, on World Mental Health Day last October, telling the royals about the brilliant work he and his friends at St Michael’s Church of England secondary school in Rowley Regis, Sandwell, were doing.
To her delight, William responded personally, writing: ‘Good afternoon Freddie, I’m so sorry Catherine and I can’t be with you and the rest of the students at St Michael’s today. ‘It is so important to address mental health challenges and stigmas head-on; Please continue with this important work. W’
But Freddie’s letter clearly had a deeply moving effect on the prince, who asked his team to secretly organize a visit to the school the next time he planned public engagements in the West Midlands.
And today he surprised the student and his classmates by arriving without prior notice as the first of three commitments in the region.
The Prince of Wales surprised schoolboy Freddie Hadley, 12, when he arrived at his school in the West Midlands today.
The Prince of Wales has arrived at a West Midlands school to surprise a schoolboy who had previously written to him
A clip filmed outside the school showed William and Freddie deep in conversation as the future King spoke to the schoolboy about his letter.
The Prince of Wales congratulated Freddie on his initiative and told him: “Well done, I’m here.”
As the other attendees laughed, he added: ‘Your letter worked. I’m sorry I couldn’t come see you in October.
Later in the visit, the Prince joined Freddie and his classmates for a segment on the school’s radio station, where they asked him to share a “dad joke.”
The father of three shared a joke that he says is Princess Charlotte’s favorite.
He said: “I’m trying to channel Jack Whitehall, because most of his jokes are quite avuncular.”
It seemed that William was a hit with the schoolchildren when he greeted them twice on the way out.
The royal, 41, said goodbye to the schoolchildren after her brief visit as she headed to her other commitments.
A Royal Goodbye: William said goodbye to the children before getting into the car to start his next engagement.
The Prince of Wales shook hands with Freddie’s classmates and other St Michael’s pupils, who seemed excited to see him.
The king seemed to enjoy joking with the students more as he shook their hands before saying goodbye.
Some of the children who had queued to meet Prince William seemed shy after meeting him.
In one of the school rooms there was a poster that read: “Am I manly enough?”, suggesting that the mental health initiative addresses the well-being of men.
Following the day’s theme of maintaining good mental health, William sipped a drink from a mug that read: “Positivi-Tea.”
Little Freddie, pictured, wrote to the Prince of Wales last year telling him about a mental health initiative he and his friends had set up at school.
Freddie and William seemed to instantly strike up a conversation after meeting, when the Prince arrived to learn more about Freddie’s work in mental health.
William looked dapper in a black suit and skinny black tie as he arrived at school for the first of three engagements in the West Midlands today.
Prince William looked dapper in a dark suit with a blue checkered shirt and a skinny black tie as he smiled upon his arrival.
Freddie Hadley, 12, wrote to the Prince of Wales last year telling him about the initiative he and his classmates had set up to help pupils manage their mental health.
The royal then told a joke about “the cow interrupting.”
While some laughed and others complained at the joke, William insisted that it was the best joke he could think of, one that was “clean” and “transmittable.”
In a punchline that some may have predicted, while others around the table tried to ask: ‘Interrupting the Cow, who?’ The royal let out an abrupt “moo”.
The Prince of Wales also thanked the station and school for hosting him, even though he supports Aston Villa.
After saying goodbye to Freddie and his companions to undertake the rest of his royal engagements, the Prince of Wales’s X/Twitter account posted photos of the visit and wrote: “It all started with a letter…
‘It’s fantastic to see this inspiring mental health project in action. Congratulations to Freddie and his friends for the incredible efforts they are making to foster his emotional well-being.’
It is the first time William has undertaken what is known as a “day of royal absence” since news of the Princess of Wales’s cancer diagnosis and treatment was publicly announced.
St. Michael’s employs a whole-school approach to mental health and well-being and, in May 2022, earned the Gold Standard award from the Carnegie Center of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools.
The school launched ‘Student Voice’ in 2012, which consists of up to 100 students who meet at lunchtimes, after school, in the afternoons and during school terms to develop initiatives ranging from fundraising to mental health, including working with older members of the community.
Their team of enthusiastic student wellbeing ambassadors also help design and implement a range of initiatives to support students.
During his visit, William plans to meet with representatives from Student Voice and join a session with the Matrix Project, which was created to highlight male mental health and brings together boys aged 11 to 14 who meet weekly to develop ideas and projects for address mental health. challenges.
The group launched its #AmIManlyEnough campaign last year to tackle the stigma around men’s mental health and encourage men and boys to communicate more about their feelings.
After initially sending his apologies for not being able to visit Freddie and his classmates, William greeted St Michael’s School today ahead of their arrival.
You will also join a workshop with a larger group of students who will discuss a range of topics related to mental health and wellbeing, including designing your own calm down kits and the wellbeing center of your dreams.
In his letter to William last year, Freddie wrote clearly that he and his friends had created #AMIMANLYENOUGH. with the goal of addressing the stigma that “girls cry and boys get angry.”
“Through our work we discovered that suicide is the leading cause of death among young men and this will not change unless people start the conversation,” he wrote with extraordinary maturity.
“Our passion for mental health has given us opportunities to organize and lead community events, present at national conferences, participate in radio interviews, and even gain celebrity endorsements.”
He invited the heir to the throne to join the ‘soft launch’ of his campaign on World Mental Health Day as a VIP guest.
And although William sadly had to decline that opportunity, he decided to go see his work in action at some point in the near future.