The purpose of the video is to raise awareness for World Mental Health Day (10th October), and while the message is a serious one, about removing the stigma associated with mental health and promoting conversation around the topic, Harry and Ed have given it a lighthearted spin, and it’s pure gold.
The clip opens with Ed getting his beard trimmed. “I’m really excited today. I’m going to go and film a thing with Prince Harry,” says Ed. “He contacted me about doing a charity video with him which you know is going to be good because I’ve long admired him...from afar."
Next, Ed shows up at Prince Harry’s place (actually, it’s Princess Eugenie’s Ivy Cottage home at Kensington Palace) and rings the doorbell, which plays ‘God Save the Queen’. Naturally.
Once inside, Prince Harry thanks Ed for collaborating with him on this special cause: "it's a subject and a conversation that's not talked about enough. I think people all over the world are really suffering." Ed agrees and tells Harry he’s been trying to write a song about this very topic, which Harry is really excited about.
"People just don't understand what it's like for people like us," says Ed, which leaves Harry confused. "Well, you know, with the jokes and the snide comments. I just feel like it's time that we stood up and said, 'We're not going to take this anymore. We are ginger, and we're going to fight.'"
Realising they weren’t on the same page, Harry clarifies why he called their meeting.
“Um ok, slightly awkward,” says Harry, “there might have been a miscommunication. This is about World Mental Health Day."
Backpedaling, Ed pretends that’s what he was talking about too.
We then see a shot of his computer screen, where he starts deleting "Gingers Unite" from his presentation doc, which also read, "HRH Prince Harry and the king of ging Ed Sheeran get together to change the perception of people with Moroccan sunset hair".
The video finishes with Harry and Ed urging everyone to "reach out, make sure that your friends, strangers—look out for anybody that might be suffering in silence," adding, "We’re all in this together".
Both Ed and Harry have previously spoken out about their own struggles with mental health. Ed Sheeran suffers from anxiety, while Prince Harry has sought counselling in the past after feeling “very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions”.
