From the familiar surrounds and comforts of Kensington Palace, Kate took over as the Huffington Post UK guest editor for the day to kick-start Young Minds Matter.
The new campaign aims to raise awareness for children’s mental health issues, which has been a cause close to her heart since becoming Duchess of Cambridge.
“The mental health for our children must be seen as every bit as important as their physical health,” writes Kate.
“For too long we have been embarrassed to admit when our children need emotional or psychiatric help.
“Parenting is hard enough without letting prejudices stop us from asking for the help we need for ourselves and our children.
“Like most parents today, William and I would not hesitate to seek help for our children if they needed it.
“We hope to encourage George and Charlotte to speak about their feelings, and to give them the tools and sensitivity to be supportive peers to their friends as they get older.
“We know there is no shame in a young child struggling with their emotions or suffering from a mental illness.”
Kate called it “a privilege” to guest-edit the site, vowing to tackle the “taboo” of mental health problems and “to celebrate the amazing work being done to improve and understand the mental health of young children”.
The Huffington Post published data showing one in three parents worried they would look like a “bad” mother or father if their child had a mental health problem.
The US First Lady Michelle Obama also contributed a post, titled Let’s Change the Conversation Around Mental Health, as did Australia’s Olympic swimming hero Ian Thorpe with How I Breathe While Swimming Through Depression.
“We need to get back into the world, you have an opportunity to rebuild your resilience to your torment,” writes Ian, who admits to a long-running battle with depression.
“You can regain a sense of self but also you feel as though you’re taking part in life again.”
For a look back at Kate’s humble beginnings click here.
