Prince William and Kate Middleton will launch a £5million scheme to support the mental health of Britons at a time of high anxiety during the coronavirus lockdown on Sunday. The royal couple have urged people to continue with their routine work while keeping in touch with family and friends via video calls. They also asked people to focus on their hobbies and learn new things in this time of crisis.

This is part of the guidance from Public Health England. As part of the government initiative, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will help launch a 5million pounds scheme that will be given to mental health charities to expand support services, Daily Mail reports. Prince William and Kate Middleton are known to be advocates for mental health awareness and have been speaking with organisations in this field since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Self-isolation and social distancing can pose huge challenges to our mental health — in recent weeks The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been in regular contact with organisations and patronages to understand the issues they are facing during this difficult time. Last week ☎️ The Duke spoke to @mindcharity CEO Paul Farmer, and The Duchess spoke to Catherine Roche, CEO of @_place2be. Today Public Health England has published new guidance to help support people during the COVID-19 outbreak, and updated its world-leading Every Mind Matters platform, with specific advice on maintaining good mental wellbeing during the outbreak; take a look at our Story or visit the link in our bio 📱 to find out more. Speaking about the new guidance, The Duke and Duchess said: • “It is great to see the mental health sector working together with the NHS to help people keep on top of their mental well-being. • By pulling together and taking simple steps each day, we can all be better prepared for the times ahead”. • The Government has also announced a grant for @MindCharity to help fund their services for people struggling with their mental wellbeing during this time.

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To announce the launch of the mental health scheme, Kensington Palace released two new photographs on Sunday. William is seen speaking with Paul Farmer, CEO of charity Mind, on Wednesday, March 18, while Kate is pictured talking to Catherine Roche, CEO of Place2Be, the very next day. It is the same day the couple paid a visit to the NHS call center.

"The last few weeks have been anxious and unsettling for everyone. We have to take time to support each other and find ways to look after our mental health. It is great to see the mental health sector working together with the NHS to help people keep on top of their mental wellbeing. By pulling together and taking simple steps each day, we can all be better prepared for the times ahead," said William and Kate.

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Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge take part in a round table discussion during their visit to Jaguar Land Rover's Solihull manufacturing plant on November 22, 2017 in Birmingham, England Getty

Mental health guidance developed with the input of mental health charities and clinically assured by the NHS, has points on how to help children manage stress. It has been published on PHE's Every Mind Matters page. Tips include being aware of your own reactions around children and creating a new routine for them. Besides, there is support for those who are already have serious mental health problems. PHE said NHS mental health providers are establishing 24/7 helplines.

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