Prince William and Princess Kate are in Liverpool today for a very important reason.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are conducting their first Royal visit since the release of Prince Harry's explosive memoir, Spare. Their Royal Highnesses are here to thank people working across Merseyside's healthcare and mental health services today (Thursday).
The Prince and Princess first visited the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital, which opened its doors in October 2022 after five years of delays and issues, including the collapse of the main contractor on the project.
READ MORE: Buckingham Palace sends 'urgent' response to Prince Harry interviews
The state-of-the-art hospital is the biggest in the country, providing inpatients with 100% single en-suite bedrooms, said to improve patient experience, safety and enhanced recovery. However, like many it is struggling amid the current NHS crisis and a number of doctors have raised concerns that the new hospital has fewer beds than its predecessor.
During the visit, the Prince and Princess visited a ward to see the hospital's new facilities, and meet staff who have been working at the hospital during the busy winter period, including support staff and mental health first aiders, to thank them for their service.
His Royal Highness also met some of the critical care team he met on a video call in 2020, during the covid pandemic.
Later, the Prince and Princess travelled to the Open Door Charity, a Wirral organisation that supports young adults across Merseyside with their mental health. Open Door provides members with free, immediate access to a range of creative therapy options.
Their Royal Highnesses are visiting the charity's flagship Bloom Building to meet volunteers, mentors and staff.
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