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Prince William has a special Apple project dropping this month...and no, it’s not an album! The Duke of Cambridge will be the next Time to Walk guest on Apple Fitness+. The future King, who is an advocate for mental health, talks about the importance of keeping mentally fit in the special holiday episode, which will be released Dec. 6.
Time to Walk is an audio experience on Apple Watch for Fitness+ subscribers that is designed to encourage people to walk more often and reap the benefits from the activity. Every episode is “recorded while the guest walks outside or in locations that are meaningful to them, and includes their reflections on lessons learned, meaningful memories, thoughts on purpose and gratitude, moments of levity, and thought-provoking topics,” per Apple.
In his episode, William walked through the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk—from Sandringham House, past St. Mary Magdalene Church, before eventually ending in Anmer. During his walk, the royal dad of three reflected on a lighthearted moment when he was drawn out of his comfort zone, the value of listening as a way to empower others, and an experience that led him to prioritize mental health. Queen Elizabeth’s grandson also chose three of his favorite songs and explained why they are important to him.
“Walking has been a feature of my life during the good times and the bad, come rain or shine. For me, it provides an opportunity to clear my mind and gain some perspective,” William said in a personal message shared on the Cambridges’ social media channels. “It’s a key part of how I manage my mental health. It can be a very sociable exercise or a moment of complete calm and isolation.”
“In the hope of inspiring a few other people to get active and take some extra time for their own mental health – I wanted to share a few of my stories and favourite songs with you in an episode of Time to Walk,” he continued. “This experience means even more to me knowing that three great mental health charities: @giveusashoutinsta, @crisistextline and @lifelineaustralia will receive donations to help continue the important work they’re doing to provide 24/7 support to those in need.”
Apple is making donations to three charities, picked by the Duke, that are doing important work around mental health: Crisis Text Line in the US, Shout 85258 in the UK, and Lifeline in Australia. Aside from being available to Fitness+ subscribers, there will also be three special audio airings of William’s episode, featuring stories and music only, that will stream for free on Apple Music 1.