Prince William's time as a paramedic was a difficult time for his mental health, and he often felt he should not share the weight of it with his family.

At the Emergency Services Mental Health Symposium on November 25, the Duke of Cambridge recalled his time working for the Royal Air Force Search and Rescue and East Anglia Air Ambulance.

"I remember the pressure of responding to calls in the most stressful situations, sometimes with tragic consequences," he said (from the Daily Star).

"I remember the solidarity with the team, working together to do our best and sharing the weight of responsibility," the duke continued.

When Prince William returned home at night, he felt he should not talk about his arduous task. He said, "I also remember coming home with the stresses and strains of the day weighing heavily on my mind and not wanting to burden my family with what I had seen."

The duke resigned from the emergency services in 2017 to focus on his royal duties.

The symposium marked the launch of the Blue Light Together initiative, which aims to support the mental health of first responders and their families.

The Duke said on Instagram, "Supporting the mental health of first responders is very personal to me; I often think back to my time working for RAF Search and Rescue and East Anglia Air Ambulance, and I'm proud to be a part of this initiative. [That is why I am delighted to announce that today, on behalf of emergency services across the UK, senior leaders representing national agencies have signed the 'Commitment on Mental Health at Work'. This is an unprecedented agreement and sends a powerful message to all first responders that mental health is and will remain a top priority for the UK's emergency services.

"This means that for the first time, uniform standards to support the mental health of paramedics will be adopted and embedded in the workplace. This is an important step toward ensuring that the staff and volunteers who work tirelessly for our country are properly protected.

"And finally, once again, I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks on behalf of a grateful nation to all emergency response personnel from any service, from any role, from any location, from any activity throughout the UK."

Prior to the event, the Duke published a candid conversation he had with two emergency responders, Will and Chloe.