Prince Harry shows his support for transgender children as Royal Foundation invites controversial charity to join its mental health work
- Mermaids set to supplement Foundation's mental health work with young people
- Charity is leading UK organisation for 'gender variant and transgender children'
- But it has faced criticism for campaigning for better access to puberty-blockers
- Prince Harry met with Mermaids along with other youth charities at YMCA event
Prince Harry (pictured with his pregnant wife Meghan) has thrown his weight behind the cause of transgender children
Prince Harry has thrown his weight behind the cause of transgender children as it was announced that a controversial charity will work with the Royal Foundation.
Mermaids, the UK's leading charity for 'gender variant and transgender children', is set to supplement the Foundation's mental health work with young people.
The Foundation is the Duke of Sussex's primary philanthropic and charitable vehicle, along with his wife Meghan and both the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Prince Harry recently met with the CEO of Mermaids during a round table discussion with several other youth charities at Ealing YMCA, according to the Telegraph.
The royal endorsement has been viewed as a watershed moment by campaigners, who hope that the Prince can challenge public conceptions on trans children.
Mermaids has itself faced criticism due to its active campaigning for children to be allowed better access to puberty-blockers and other medical options.
The NHS advocates a 'watchful waiting' approach when dealing with children who say they want to change gender.
Leeds-based charity Mermaids was founded in 1995 and receives funds from the Department for Education.
This year the National Lottery awarded the charity a £500,000 grant after finding that it did not believe Mermaids pushes families towards a particular medical course of action.
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It is led by Susie Green, a former IT consultant who took her own child Jackie to Thailand aged 16 for genital surgery.
She told the Telegraph: 'I think it's always really important to young people to see that people with the authority and credibility that Prince Harry has are supporting them and are listening and acknowledging the fact that they exist.
'This is somebody who has got that profile who's showing clear understanding of the issues they're facing.'
Ms Green compared Prince Harry's advocacy of transgender children to the work of his mother, Princess Diana, who worked to transform public perceptions around AIDS during the 1990s.
MailOnline has contacted the Royal Foundation for comment.
Mermaids is led by Susie Green (left), a former IT consultant who took her own child Jackie (right) to Thailand aged 16 for genital surgery
