The Princess Mixes New & Old for Children’s Mental Health Week Engagement

The Princess of Wales chose separates for an engagement marking Children’s Mental Health Week in the UK.

She visited Castle Hill Academy in South London, where students eagerly awaited her arrival.

The Princess started her visit in the outdoor play area.

More from Hello’s coverage. 

As Kate walked to the playground and into the main school grounds, she was greeted by a flurry of children who were waving flags on the theme of kindness. The royal shook hands with many of the children and said how “impressed” she was with the designs they had created..

We return to Hello’s story. 

As she joined a group of children, the royal was seen picking up miniature pom poms with a pair of tweezers. She sweetly chatted with the children during the moment, saying: “Can I have a go? Is it hard? What’s your favourite colour? I love green, it reminds me of nature and being outside.”

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Children’s Mental Health Week was launched by Place2Be in 2015 to “give a voice to all children and young people and to raise awareness of children and young people’s mental health,” according to the Place2Be website.

The Princess has been Place2Be’s royal patron since 2013.

This year’s theme for the week is ‘This is My Place,’ with a goal of “supporting “the systems around children and young people to help them feel they belong.”

We learn more from this Telegraph piece by Victoria Ward. 

The Princess spoke to children in the school’s art room who were making “belonging maps” – visual schemes of the people, places and experiences that help them feel safe and connected – about the importance of expressing their emotions.

She asked some of the Year Five pupils if it helped them to talk while being creative and getting involved in art projects. 

Rebecca English’s Daily Mail article provides additional details on the art class interaction. 

She chatted to the youngsters about the importance of expressing their emotions, asking what made them feel good and safe.

‘Do you like to talk about your feelings, your sense of belonging?’ she asked, adding: ‘Sometimes it’s hard to talk about your thoughts and feelings.’

The princess, who admitted she was ‘too busy chatting’ to make her own map, asked whether the children did arts and crafts at home, telling them: ‘It’s good to be messy, it’s good fun.’

The Princess spent time with the parents of students in the program and administrators.

This People story has more. 

Kate then spent some of the morning meeting parents to hear how they have benefitted (some even used the Place2Be services as pupils). She also spoke with teachers and Place2Be practitioners to hear how trusted relationships, creativity and play help children express themselves and build confidence.

The royal mom of three also spent time with Castle Hill Academy and Place2Be leadership to discuss the organization’s whole-school approach to supporting children’s mental health, as well as the unique challenges facing children and families in the area of New Addington, Croydon.

We return to The Telegraph’s piece.

As the Princess spoke to school leaders, she asked how easy it had been to bring the parents on board and whether they worked in the community as well as on site.

“Social and emotional development and relationship building – making it engrained in the culture is what’s going to make a difference,” she said. “Making it more than linear.”

The Princess also spent time in a children’s play area. 

Another view. 

She was given flowers before she left. 

Now, we move to our look at what Kate wore. 

She brought back her Petar Petrov Wool-Blend Founder Jacket ($800 on sale), which she first wore for an engagement last February. The single-breasted style is 50% wool and 50% viscose with a relaxed fit, exaggerated shoulders, jetted front pockets, and a single-button front closure. 

Beneath the jacket, the Princess could have been wearing the Blue Poplin Boyfriend Shirt ($150) by British brand With Noting Underneath. The collared shirt is 100% organic cotton, with a loose fit, double-button cuffs, and pleats at the yoke. This was a Middleton Maven find, and the company tells her it is their design. We saw the Princess in this style in white Tencel last September.

It looked like the Princess was in a new pair of trousers. It’s possible they are the Joseph Coleman Long Gabardine Stretch style in Cocoa ($465), another find by Middleton Maven. The mid-rise trousers are crafted from viscose, cotton, and elastane, featuring a slim silhouette, pockets, and a front zipper. The style is also available at Selfridges ($355) and My Theresa ($465). The Princess has worn this style in the ‘Arabica’ colorway.

The Princess appeared to be wearing a new pair of shoes by Boden, the ‘Nya’ Penny Loafer in oxblood ($190, available in other colors/finishes). Thank you to Kate Middleton Styled on Instagram for this ID. 

We saw the return of the Kiki McDonough Blue Topaz Pear Drop Earrings (£895, roughly $1200 at today’s exchange rates) in 18K yellow gold and the Auree Jewellery Bali 9ct Gold Garnet January Birthstone Necklace ($1055). The gold disc behind the garnet is polished on one side and brushed on the other, and it can be engraved. 

I’ll leave you with one more photo from today.