Public awareness of mental health issues has been increased by the admission by Prince Harry to anti-suicide charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) that he didn’t come to terms with his mother’s death when he was 12 years old, but bottled it up for 20 years, coming close to a breakdown as a result. His brother Prince William, who persuaded him to accept counselling, said that the “stiff upper lip” mindset was dangerous when it affected health.

Men especially hold to the view that it is unacceptable and a sign of weakness to talk about emotions and feelings, leading to the fact that suicide is the biggest killer of men aged under 45 in the UK.

Since the admission mental health and anti-suicide charities have logged increases in calls to their helplines, with some callers saying that the bravery of the princes on the subject had made them realise they were not alone.

Some newspaper articles have described the princes as “touchy-feely” and “self-absorbed” and journalists have wondered why their father, Prince Charles, who brought William and Harry up on his own after the death of Diana has been “airbrushed out of the picture”.