Thursday 18 May 2023

The Princess Talks the Effects of Labels & Social Media During Visit to Anna Freud

For her second engagement to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, the Princess of Wales visited her patronage Anna Freud's London home today.

On Tuesday, Kate joined the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust in Bath for outdoor activities and candid conversation about the pressures on young people today. In a very open behind-the-scenes chat, the Princess spoke about never expecting to become royal until she "fell in love" with William, adding she is "still learning every day" in her royal role. She also touched on public speaking, saying she's "still working on it, how to project", according to Holmes. It sounds like it was a conversation conducive to sharing for all participants. I have no doubt those involved appreciated Kate's candour.

Anna Freud currently supports over a million children across the UK as they strive to reduce the burden of mental health challenges children face. With over sixty years experience of caring for young minds, their vision is a world in which children and their families receive the support they need to achieve their goals and lead a happy, healthy life.

Neuroscientists and practitioners at Anna Freud specialising in mental health, social care and education work together to transform mental health for children, young people and their families.

The Princess joined a roundtable discussion with sector experts, Anna Freud staff and those with lived experience of mental health challenges to discuss how we can support the mental wellbeing of current and future generations.

One topic of conversation which arose was the importance of uniting in a three-pronged approach the areas of evidence-based research, clinical expertise and young people’s lived experiences.

Professor Peter Fonagy, Chief Executive of Anna Freud, said: "We were delighted to welcome our Patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, to Anna Freud to mark this very special event during Mental Health Awareness Week and in our own journey.

"Through working closely with Her Royal Highness in relation to the wellbeing of children, young people and families, I know how committed she is to helping the youngest members of our society to achieve a fair and equal start in life. The passion and knowledge she brings to our discussions on developing new ways to build the mental wellbeing of future generations at home, in school and in the children’s mental health workforce is truly inspiring. We look forward to continuing to work closely with her on these important issues facing our society. Our founder, Anna Freud, was committed to helping the most vulnerable children and she was not afraid to challenge the status quo – a legacy we are proud to continue as we renew our focus on building the mental wellbeing of current and future generations."

Kate talked about feeling inspiration through conversations with young people as "fireworks going off" in her head. The Princess also touched on her thoughts about labels. More from the Mail Online:

'The Princess of Wales said she believes emotions should not be 'over medicalised', particularly among young people who tend to 'latch onto labels of any sort'.

She told officials: 'In the caveman ages our worlds were quite small so we were able to deal with that fight or flight response..."

By comparison, she suggested that modern society and the effect of social media had a notable effect on mental health and wellbeing.'

Kensington Palace said: "Her Royal Highness met a group of secondary school students who have been taking part in interactive activities that explore how they deal with their own anxious feelings. The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is ‘Anxiety’, and the group’s discussions will be based on ‘Let’s Talk About Anxiety’, a new animation and teacher toolkit which has been co-created by the students themselves. The students learned how anxiety plays a part, at times, in everyone’s lives. They learned about and practise healthy coping skills and take part in activities to identify practical strategies that can help them when they feel anxious."

The Mirror reports:

'The children helped to develop Anna Freud's "let's talk about anxiety" new animation and teacher toolkit, which typifies the charity’s vision to empower young people with the knowledge, confidence and skills to manage their mental wellbeing.

When one of the pupils mentioned her interest in sport, Kate replied: "So much in sport is mental as well as the physical skills and abilities, to have these sort of skills and these sorts of things in your toolbox will really help you, probably not just in school but home life and school life and other things as well.”'

A video from the engagement.

Hello! reports:

'Prof Fonagy revealed afterwards that the Princess had taken a copy of the anxiety toolkit with her.

"She took a copy away with her because she's in the same position as every other parent of needing to have the skills and the competencies to cope with an anxious child, a child before an exam…" he said.

"Do we know how to do it? We don't teach it at school. We should teach it at school but we don't."'

Finally, Kensington Palace shared a short from Kate in which she reflected on a "fantastic" morning and praised the resources provided by Anna Freud.

The Princess was stylish in the gorgeous Suzannah Flippy Wiggle dress in a striking emerald green. The piece has a lovely 1940s/1950s feel to it.

The Princess owns the style in white. Below, Kate arriving at Wimbledon in 2019.

The £3,300 dress is described: "The original inspiration derives from a late 1940’s Wiggle Dress, which we have re-cut to have it skim over the bodice with a fluid gentle soft movement throughout the skirt, from the hips to the hemline. The silhouette is contoured around the waist and front yoke with delicate pin-tucks. The dress is designed to be an elegant tea-length featuring beautiful half-length sleeves with a buttoned cuff. The contrasting navy silk covered buttons work from double to single breasted down the centre front for closure."

The piece is lined in silk habotai and comes with a detachable silk crepe belt backed with leather.

Kate wore her Alessandra Rich beige/black two-tone pumps.

Kate completed the look with a pair of sold out £11 Accessorize earrings.

Embed from Getty Images

Apologies for the lateness of the post today; it's been a very busy day on this end :)

36 comments:

  1. No apologies needed. I hope all is ok. If just busy I hope you got everything done. That made interesting reading, especially in relation to dealing with anxiety. This work is so important. A lot of people are really struggling with mental health issues. I love this dress. The colour is beautiful on her. I know it's silk but is that very expensive for a light summer dress. Regardless it's beautiful and I'm sure we will see it again. Thanks Charlotte. S.🙂.

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  2. She looked absolutely beautiful in green! Her hair and smile, simply top notch! Loved this years mental awareness topic is anxiety! That is a constant struggle of mine and I do suffer from it so it’s nice to see what they have developed to help cope with such a debilitating emotion/feeling. 💚💚

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    1. I hope you learn to cope with your anxiety in a positive way! I really liked this engagement and the last one focusing on anxiety and ways to deal with it. We all have anxiety at one time or another and to one degree or another and need a "toolbox" of different ways to combat it. Good luck!

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    2. Thank you for your kindness! Nowadays it seems the only resolution many doctors take is via prescription drugs and I think there is more impactful ways that can help. A simple conversation, providing an outlet for someone to talk through their anguish and the reasons for their anxiety. Sometimes, just a simple ear to listen is all some of us require. And of course a gentle hug and words of encouragement 🥰

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    3. I agree, Florida Girl and IBR. We all have our anxieties but some people struggle with them more than others. As I've been taking care of my fragile Mum (87) with Parkinson's disease&whole-life anxiety, I've been trying to build some resilience but sometimes I'm on the verge of anxiety issues (and depression) myself. I have a great therapist whom I see about once in every 3-4 weeks. She has known me for more than 12 years now and I don't know what I'd do without her advice and kindness. You are right, FG, sometimes it's just being listened to that helps. While talking, I can express my worries and putting them into words helps to sort them out. Sometimes, the fear loses its choking intensity simply by being articulated. Sometimes, however, expert advice is needed. Gradually, I've been able to develop my own "toolkit" for dealing with everyday issues (fatigue, sadness, worrying too much...). Here are some of my tools: taking a couple of deep breaths; calling a friend and talking; listening to my favourite music (Beethoven, Brahms, Grieg); having a lovely cup of tea+a little piece of chocolate; taking a walk; buying myself a flower/plant or a nice little something; watching an episode (sometimes only a couple of minutes) of my favourite series. Sometimes cooking and baking help too. :)
      It's really great that Kate draws attention to this sort of problems and the organisation's work is priceless. In my country (and I believe elsewhere too), more and more people, both adults and children, need help. The covid time, war in Ukraine and cost-of-living crisis all take their toll on us. Kindness is more important than ever. As her late Majesty put it: "Kindness, sympathy, resolution and courteous behaviour are infectious." Let's try and spread droplets of that infection! 😊 Zora from Prague

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  3. This is a solid dress and I do love it in white. I think the shoes are fun and different! This is such a hot topic now, and as a teacher of young students I see it starting earlier in age. It’s great to get tools that will be useful throughout life. Thank you Charlotte. Sue from IL

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  4. I love his colour dress and her hair was absolute perfection today!

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  5. I must disagree. The dress was nice in white but looks horribly frumpy in green. The design is both too young and too old looking on a 41 year old. While I love the shoes they stand out as not a good choice with this dress. A big miss today.

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    1. Ha, I have the opposite impression! I strongly dislike the white dress but am having positive thoughts toward the green. The white always looked awkward with the tiny black buttons to me...they blend with the green better. I still am not a fan of the dress style.

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    2. I love this dress in both colors and I think she looks fantastic in both!

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    3. @Anon 23:35 I completely agree. I think the green dress also looks as if it doesn’t fit as well. I would assume it’s an optical illusion but to me the green dress screams for more curves to fit correctly.
      I also think the green is beautiful but not the best shade. While I generally think she looks amazing in jewel tones, the green should either be deeper/have a different undertone to really compliment her complexion.
      I will say, I am very bored to see the same dresses just with different colours. If Kate buys new she should really buy new. Otherwise she should just repeat one of the many beautiful green dresses she has (at least 7 green day dresses she wore for similar occasions so perfectly re-usable here come to mind without much thinking, so there are probably at least double the amount if we really check).
      C.

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  6. I quite like the white wiggle dress and appreciate in general the retro inspiration behind this designer's dresses. The color is attractive, though I think I would have preferred a brighter shade of green.

    I wanted to mention that people who like the Alessandra Rich pumps might take a look at Jennifer Chamandi shoes. I bought a pair in beige and black not too long ago and am in love with them. They are a bit less expensive than the AR shoes.

    I'm seeing so many appalling effects on young people (university-aged, too) who are over-involved with social media and who are ridden with anxiety problems that I applaud any initiatives to confront and battle the problem. Unfortunately, for those of us who believe firmly in freedom of speech and expression, censoring or limiting these media is not a viable option. Perhaps we'll eventually achieve a reasonable balance in our uses of them, but that happy day has not arrived. In the meantime, we could all use "anxiety toolkits". I'd love to know more about these.

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    1. I agree what an interesting comment.

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    2. I agree, would love to know about the 'anxiety toolkits', think we can all benefit from some useful daily tactics to alleviate stress.

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  7. I love his color dress and her hair was absolute pretty

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  8. She is gorgeous! Above all she is genuine, cultured, poise.In a world full of falsity I feel real joy everything I see her.Bless you Catherine princess of Wales!

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  9. I like the dress in white and I like it in green. And I also like it paired with those shoes (and appreciate the variation - shoe wise - from her usual style). I thought her comment about young people needing to be a bit careful about labels was very wise and insightful of her (speaking as someone who works with young adults). It's great she's got the confidence to share mild opinions like this and also her vulnerability (struggling with public speaking). She hit all the right notes today.

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    1. I agree, I appreciated that comment about labels and also the one about being careful not to medicalise everyday challenges.

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  10. The dress is in green because everyone was encouraged to wear green ! However this dress is not my favourite. Neither in green nor in white !

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  11. Excellent appearance here. I love this dress - I would wear this green version myself. I'm expecting to see it again on Kate at Wimbledon next month!

    I really like her support for mental health awareness this week, and I especially like the promotion of a toolkit to actually do something to help with anxiety and build resilience, not just talk about it.

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    1. So astute. I was thinking whether she'll repeat it at such a close interval. She might repeat it next year if it doesn't appear this season. Such a Wimbledon color.

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  12. This green dress is beautiful, lovely design. I didn't like the white, but I love the green color, stunning, suits the Princess beautifully. The skirt of the dress has movement and swish, moving nicely. The two tone shoes are a lovely addition and perfect choice, with this dress.
    This was a great visit, highlighting serious issues and problems people face with mental illness.

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  13. I didn't realise at first it was the same Suzanah dress. I really like it in that shade of green. Definitely a gorgeous colour on Kate.

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  14. Princess Catherine could wear a potato sack, and rock it. She has true timeless beauty. I've visited the UK and have plans to retire there one day. I am so thrilled she has taken on mental health as it's so important. Hello from across the pond. Charlotte thanks for always being so wonderful to blog on our favorite princess. Is there a way to donate to you? As I know this can be very time consuming.

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    1. Hello Christy,

      That's incredibly kind of you, I sincerely mean that. The blog has advertising to cover its costs, but the gesture is noted and appreciated :)

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  15. Looking at pictures of the movement of the dress, it must feel so soft and comfortable. I really love this color (previous white one as well) and 1940's style. Kate looks beautiful in rich hues.

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  16. Love her hair today. Dress is a bit off at the waist IMO. The white version had a belt but the green version does not. Seems like a gap at her waist is noticeable without the belt. Of the two colors, much prefer the white version. Missouri Girl

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    1. One photo of the model shows this dress without a belt. But Kate is most definitely wearing a belt. It is narrow and in the same fabric as the dress...but it is certainly there. M.

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  17. I don't normally enjoy this color (I did not like a dress she wore to Wimbledon with Meghan at all) but I think she looks wonderful here. I like everything -- dress, hair, shoes, earrings!

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  18. I love the pleat details and the emerald green color looks beautiful on Catherine.

    Border Terrier lover

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  19. Catherine looks wonderful. Love the color and "40's" inspired dress. Moves beautifully. The shoes really add to the retro vibe also. A great look. Will once again pass on the earrings, if going to use budget friendly earrings I would have opted for 1940's second hand costume jewelry. A wonderful organisation. Ali

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  20. Catherine looks wonderful in green and I like this style of dress on her. Using both single and double-breasted buttons on the same dress is rather odd. I’m not sold on those shoes for this dress but they are a lovely style. Even with those quibbles, I think this is a very successful outing.

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  21. So regal, genuine, and humble; so much like QEII.

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  22. Yes, lovely and very pretty, but why can she not elect one of the other equally lovely and pretty dresses that she already owns?

    Sorry, but I will never get this!

    Heidi

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    1. Now I feel very frivolous, because I get it totally! Another lovely and pretty dress is so uplifting! Also I think it is more fun when she wears something new.

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