The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was set up in September 2009 to enable Prince William and his brother Prince Harry to take forward their charitable ambitions. Catherine Middleton and Meghan Markle later joined as patrons of the foundation upon marriage. In June 2019, it was announced that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would establish a separate charity foundation by the end of 2019, while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge continued their role as the current foundation's principals. The couples' foundations will reportedly collaborate on mutual projects, such as the mental health initiative Heads Together.
Areas of focus
The Foundation was set up as the vehicle for William and Harry's charitable giving. Along with the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Sussex, they intended to use the Foundation as the main vehicle for their future charitable activities and through raising sustainable sources of funds, the Foundation is able to make charitable grants and support projects of particular interest. In March 2011, William and Catherine set up a gift fund held by The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry to allow well-wishers wanting to give them a wedding gift to donate money to charities they care about instead. The gift fund supported 26 charities of the couple’s choice, incorporating the armed forces, children, the elderly, art, sport and conservation. These causes are close to their hearts and reflect the experiences, passions and values of their lives so far. On 8 January 2012, The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry announced partnership with The Forces in Mind Trust to support former UK military personnel and their families. On 9 May 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex launched Shout, an affiliate of Crisis Text Line in the U.K. that offers free, confidential mental health support via text. Anybody in the United Kingdom may text Shout to 85258 for 24/7 crisis support.
In fact, on 6 June 2020, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, revealed via @kensingtonroyal's Instagram page, that he has himself been serving as a volunteer on the #Shout85258 hotline, which is the UK's first 24/7 crisis text line.
On 31 December 2019, after consulting various organisations and experts, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced the Earthshot Prize, which will be given to five individuals or organisations who could come up with solutions for environmental problems between 2021 and 2030. The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will run the project, which is also supported by philanthropists. In 2020, the foundation established a fund in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, through which they granted £1.8 million to 10 charities that focus on mental health issues and helping frontline workers.
Royal Foundation Forum
The Royal Foundation Forum was held at the end of February 2018 with William, Catherine, Harry and Meghan in attendance. Under the theme Making A Difference Together, the event in central London showcased programmes run or initiated by the Royal Foundation such as Heads Together, the Invictus Games, and United For Wildlife. Meghan formally became the fourth patron of The Royal Foundation following her wedding to Harry on 19 May 2018.
