The event, convened by his Royal Foundation, invited 200 leaders from Britain’s key emergency services to mark the launch of Blue Light Together, a package of mental health support for emergency responders and their families.

It includes the emergency services pledge to prioritise wellbeing, a dedicated website of resources for blue light workers, families and veterans to show them how to find help, and the Blue Light Together Network of emergency services therapists in one easy-to-navigate directory.

Calling it a “big moment” at a “critical time”, the Duke said the coronavirus pandemic had been a “sharp reminder of the debt of gratitude we owe to staff and volunteers from our police, fire, ambulance, and search and rescue services”.

Many found the pressure on their mental health “almost unmanageable”, he added, placed under “inordinate amounts of pressure – not just professionally, but also personally”.

“We cannot expect our emergency responders to be able to continually shoulder the strain of their roles without any consequences.”