The Princess of Wales made a surprise appearance in Liverpool to support the launch of her husband’s suicide prevention campaign.
Prince William had originally been set to attend the event at Everton Football Club on his own, where he is set to unveil the toolkit and give a speech to mark World Suicide Prevention Day.
However, Kate stepped out from their car alongside William without prior notice after arriving at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium.
This marks the couple's first joint royal engagement since returning from their summer break and the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex back in the UK.
The royal couple were seen together on Tuesday when they dropped their 13-year-old son Prince George at Eton College for his first day at the prestigious school.
The prince has only recently returned from his trip to Norway on Wednesday, where he represented King Charles at the funeral of King Harald and walked alongside other European royals.
A video promoting the toolkit was screened for the first time earlier, featuring England captain Harry Kane and other leading competitors urging the sporting world to adopt the online resource.
The future king helped to narrate the video about tackling the stigma, with 7,000 lives lost to suicide each year in the UK.
He is set to appear alongside a host of sporting stars endorsing the online resource aimed at grassroots players, professionals, organisations and fans.
The future king has written a foreword for the toolkit, called On Your Side, in which he said: “Through my work on mental health, I have met people whose lives have been changed forever by suicide.
“But I have also met people whose lives have been saved because someone stepped in to help. Each of their experiences has had a profound impact on me.”
The couple’s first duty was to honour the legacy of Gary Speed by sitting on a bench erected last season in memory of the former Everton player and manager of Wales, who was found hanged in his home in 2011.
They were joined by the sportsman’s mother Carol Speed who in the past has said she will never find the answer to why her son died but has urged others to talk about their mental health and seek help.
The prince, with the princess by his side, asked Mrs Speed if she thought Gary was a “breakthrough“ moment for people talking and she replied it was.
At the launch, the Football Association, which William supports as patron, will commit to embedding the toolkit across the organisation, including its community and grassroots football network.
The Premier League and British Cycling will announce their commitment to prioritising suicide prevention and Team GB will use the resource with all athletes and staff.
William goes on to write: “Whatever your role – athlete, coach, parent, official or supporter – you may be the person who notices that someone is struggling.
“You could be the one who starts an honest conversation, and who helps that person to find the support they need.
“This toolkit gives you clear, practical guidance to do exactly that. I hope that On Your Side encourages everyone in sport, in every discipline and at every level, to make suicide prevention part of your game plan.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI) or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you
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