Penstemmon - as well as agreeing with your desire that our royal family was more like their euro counterparts, I would prefer if our general approach was more like that in other northern european countries. Less public drunkenness, higher taxes = better public services.
You are also correct in saying that if a 'high profile' person has personal experiences of a situation, it can help make the profile of the charity or organisation set up to help others in this situation. I've already commented though, that Philip is from a generation who were encouraged to box off difficult feelings and get on with it. I seem to recall reading he wrote supportive letters to Diana during that difficult time. I struggle to see how its possible to empathise with Philip but criticise Diana. Diana had a turbulent, emotionally neglectful childhood. There is no need to rehash the problems in her marriage, or her own emotional difficulties but I find it difficult to say we need to support mental health work yet criticise a woman who sought out and it seems benefitted from psychotherapy and medication. She was also open about that, isn't that what many of us hope that 'high profile' people will do.