We are back with several engagements added to Kate’s Calendar, as well as that much-dicussed jewelry poll.

We begin with the new engagements:

• Friday March 11: Kate and William pay another visit to XL Mentoring in South London; their first engagement with the charity was last March. The organization works with vulnerable young people ages 11-18, and also offers a nationally recognized training program that is a “…resource for churches, youth workers and leaders.” The couple will meet with mentors and mentees, as well as mentoring coordinators from around the country. You can also read more about last March’s engagement here on the XLP website.

XLP Mentoring Facebook

• Thursday, March 10: The Duke and Duchess will have a series of “…public and private engagements focusing on efforts to prevent suicide and to support those bereaved by suicide.” This is an element of the couple’s mental health initiative Prince William was said to have been planning for some time. On the 10th they will meet Jonny Benjamin, a young man contemplating suicide in 2008, and Neil Laybourn, the man Mr. Benjamin credits with saving his life. At Kensington Palace Kate and William will watch a documentary with both men about a mental health campaign Mr. Benjamin founded called Think Well.  More from Majesty magazine: 

They will then travel to Kensington Palace where they will drop in on a screening of a documentary about Jonny’s experience… Jonny regularly attends screenings with young people as a way to encourage open discussion of mental health issues.

Around 20 young people from a South London school will be invited to watch the screening at Kensington Palace and then take part in a discussion, led by Jonny, Neil and Rethink Mental Illness. The children taking part in the session are from a school where Jonny has previously delivered his ThinkWell project.

•  Monday, March 14: Kate & William join HM, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Harry and other royals at the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. The theme for this year’s observances is An Inclusive Commonwealth.  Below you see the Duchess at last year’s Commonwealth Day services, not long before Princess Charlotte was born. (Our post on last year’s service is here.)
  • A quick PSA about the timing of this event: it begins at 3:15pm local time. That translates to 11:15am EDT/8:15am PDT. We switch to Daylight Savings Time March 13th but the UK doesn’t switch until the 27th, meaning this event falls in that window when we are just 4 hours behind London.

PA Wire/i-Images

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