A charity supported by the Duchess of Cambridge has released a video message showing Kate's support for Children's Mental Health Week.
In the three-minute long video, released yesterday by the charity Place2be, Kate delivers a powerful message on the importance of mental health in children.
As well as delivering a heartfelt appeal directly to viewers to raise awareness on the issue, Kate also chats to a few children who've been helped by the charity. Her maternal instincts are noticeable as Kate gently asks the children about how they overcome their problems and how the charity, who provide counselling for children in school, has helped them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21jqtJ-UB_w
'Do you all talk to your friends about your feelings?', the mother-of-two asks, to which some of the children reply 'Sometimes'.
'Sometimes it does help, doesn't it?', Kate continues. 'But other times there's things that you probably don't feel you want to share with your friends but at least you've got an adult to trust and to help you.'
Focusing more on the work Place2be do at schools, Kate asks a little girl if the support she receives from the charity has had an impact on her school work.
'Yeah, it helps my schoolwork, because when I feel sad, I always don't, like, do my work sometimes', the little girl replies.
Linking early mental health issues to problems like addiction in later in life, Kate highlights the importance of focusing on helping children from an early age.
'Through my work in areas like addiction, I have seen time and again that the roots of poor mental health in adulthood frequently stem from unresolved childhood issues', she says in the video. 'This needs to change. William and I feel that every child deserves to be supported through difficult times in their lives.'
'This Children's Mental Health Week, we want to support schools to prioritise the emotional well-being of their students, alongside academic success. By ensuring every child is given the emotional support they need, we are giving them a firm foundation for the happy healthy future they deserve', the 34 year old says.
This is not the first speech Kate has given to support the charity. Last November, the mother of George and Charlotte had her first public speaking engagement at the Place2Be Headteacher Conference in London, where she talked about the role of schools in helping children with their mental health issues.
In a bid to bring more attention to the issue of mental health in young people, the Duchess of Cambridge will also be guest editing The Huffington Post UK on Wednesday 17th February.
During her stint as a journalist, Kate will help launch Young Minds Matter, a new initiative that will discuss the problems, causes and solutions to the stigma surrounding the UK's mental health problem among children.
Busy weekend for Kate: The Duchess of Cambridge at the RAF Air Cadets 75th Anniversary in London
Before the release of the video, Kate was also busy attending her first official engagement as the new royal patron of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets for their 75th anniversary, and promised to help bring more volunteers on board.
At the event, Kate also shared little George's current professional aspirations for the future. According to someone who spoke to the Duchess at the event, Kate said George is obsessed with air cadets and wants to become one himself.
Given his father works as an ambulance pilot, no wonder Prince George has his sights set in the sky!
