The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge carried out their first joint in-person engagement of 2021 with a visit to School21 in Stratford in East London.
The visit marked the launch of Mentally Healthy Schools resources for students at the school, who will be given access to lessons on a range of issues including depression and anxiety. The Duchess announced the Heads Together legacy project back in 2018 during a visit to Roe Green Junior School and during a speech. "My own commitment is to the youngest and most vulnerable in their early years - babies, toddlers and school children - and to support all those who care for them. The ultimate goal is that no primary school teacher, anywhere in the country, should in future have to wonder where to turn when it comes to the wellbeing of children in their care."
Mentally Healthy Schools is a website designed to give teachers and school staff the clarity and practical resources they need in order to support pupils. It is free and easy to use, drawing together reliable and practical resources to improve awareness, knowledge and confidence in promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health. The content will be provided in four main areas: Teaching Resources, Risks and Protective Factors, Mental Health Needs, and a 'Whole School Approach' for school leaders. It was funded by an initial £800,000 grant from the then Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
All of the resources on the website are free and have been quality-assured by mental health experts at Kate's patronage the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families. It follows research showing one in seven secondary-age children have an identifiable mental health condition.
In the first step of lockdown easing, schools in England returned on Monday for the first time this year. Following almost three months in Norfolk, where the Cambridges joined parents around the country resuming homeschooling, the family returned to Kensington Palace last week ahead of George and Charlotte's return to Thomas's Battersea. Today's engagement was planned to highlight the return of classes and resources available to support students' wellbeing amidst an incredibly challenging time.
'William and Kate talked to the children in the playground during their play session. Some were digging for a treasure in a sand pit.
"Have you found any treasure yet?" Kate asked the pupils.
She also asked the children what it was like to be back at school: "Is it fun to be back with all your friends?"
The Duchess chatting with children about being back at school.
A video from the engagement.
The Duchess was effortlessly stylish in a pink ensemble for the visit.
Kate's Max & Co Runway coat in 'hammond pink' is described as "boasting a clean-lined design, this woollen outerwear option perfects understated elegance, while its belted waist allows you to cinch the silhouette for a flattering fit". It's available in red in multiple sizes at Harrods.
Kate teamed it with Boden's Hambleden Scallop Sweater. It's available for pre-order on Boden's website.
The Duchess wore her high-waisted, sport luxe Jigsaw trousers.
Following a question from a Sky News reporter as they were departing, William said he hasn't spoken to Harry yet but "will do", adding, "We are very much not a racist family." ITV's royal editor Chris Ship described the comments as "unprecedented for a senior Royal to speak in this way" and that it "shows the fight they now have on their hands to repair their reputation following Meghan and Harry’s explosive claims".
Author's Note: As one of a handful of bloggers navigating the terrain on both sides of the current divide, it's always come with its challenges. I've long held the belief you don't have to choose. Tearing one up to elevate the other, or praising one with only the purpose of denigrating the other feeds into a devastating problem felt across our media landscape.
For some time now, I've been deeply concerned about the sustained leaking campaign against the Duchess of Sussex and the impact it would have on her mental health. There are issues within the institution as a whole I've been increasingly concerned about for some time now. Issues that cannot be ignored or, as Harry said, history will keep repeating itself.
I've watched loved ones endure painful and devastating mental health battles. It's certainly impacted and changed me as a person. It also taught me a powerful lesson which is worth repeating at this juncture - despite how things appear, we never truly know what anyone is going through behind closed doors. A tweeter rightly remarked if a person had a heart problem, we wouldn't ask, "Do we like them?" before believing them. Some of the comments I've seen pertaining to the Duchess of Sussex's mental health have shown the very worst of humanity. Indeed, only yesterday Times correspondent Valentine Low revealed he knew about her struggles in 2019 and her emails to HR discussing how difficult things had become for her. I note that because the accusation of "lying" has been saddening to see. The past week has shown me just how far we have to go societally in conquering the stigma attached to mental health. With that in mind, for my own mental health, I'm closing comments on both blogs for the next several days.
If you need to reach out to someone, contact Samaritans at 116 123. For those in the US, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis centre.
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