The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have made it clear that mental health is one of their primary charitable causes. They began their work on this cause a few years ago. Last week, Kate Middleton's efforts continued. Kate visited the Lavender Primary School in Enfield, London. The visit from the mother of two was part of Children's Mental Health Week. One of Kate's royal patronages, the charity Place2Be, hosts the week of awareness-raising events annually.
During her visit, Kate learned about the ways nutrition can affect children's physical and mental health. The discussion of eating habits got Kate talking about her own family's eating habits. She opened up about some of Prince George's and Princess Charlotte's favorite foods. She even revealed that her 5-year-old and 3-year-old love to help out in the kitchen when they can! The visit left everyone with some new information to chew on and raised awareness for an important subject.
Kate Middleton recently visited the Lavender Primary School in Enfield, London, for an event. The event was part of Children's Mental Health Week, an effort led by Place2Be, which is one of the Duchess of Cambridge's royal patronages.
She watched the children take part in the "Daily Mile." The school gets kids moving by letting them run at their own speed for 15 minutes each day.
Kate also sat in on an activity where students discussed how different foods can impact their physical and mental well-being. She had some stories of her own to bring to the conversation.
According to People, as the class discussed some of their food habits at home, Kate offered some of her own kids' preferences. She shared that Princess Charlotte is a big fan of olives.
According to a reporter, Kate also shared that her kids love cheesy pasta!
"They made cheesy pasta the other day. One stirs the flour, one puts the milk and butter in. And they make salads and stuff," recalled Matthew Kleiner-Mann, who is the chief executive of the Ivy Learning Trust.
These issues are important to Kate on so many levels. Alongside Prince William and Prince Harry, Kate has championed mental health as one of the primary causes they want to promote change in.
It became widely known that the princes' late mother, Princess Diana, suffered from depression throughout her lifetime. That's what makes mental health such a deeply personal mission for them as a family.
Kate is also passionate about children's causes. In fact, about half the causes she serves involve children. She has expressed particular interest in improving early life circumstances for children, from before birth through their 5th year.
Kate also visited the Alperton Community School located in Brent, London. There, she took part in a conversation about students' school readiness and teacher welfare.
Kate also joined in on a meeting of the Random Acts of Kindness Club. The club focuses on the well-being of the school as a community.
From there, Kate sat in on an art class. Everyone was treated to a presentation about the ways art can enhance children's confidence and creativity.
Recently, Kate's brother, James, has come forward and admitted to battling depression. He says he's been inspired to speak about his experience by the dedication of his sister and the princes to raising awareness and helping out.
He said of their work, "They believe we can only tackle the stigma associated with mental illness if we have the courage to change the national conversation, to expel its negative associations."
Place2Be has raised awareness by bringing in-school support and expert training to 280 elementary and secondary schools to date. In doing this, it hopes to improve the emotional well-being of every member of the school community.
