The Duchess Of Cambridge In A Video Message For Children's Mental Health Week 2016

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge has urged Britain's schools to do more to provide emotional support for children to give them the resilience to cope with life's challenges. The Duchess of Cambridge has voiced her belief that the nation's children should be "supported through difficult times in their lives" in a video message recorded to mark Children's Mental Health Week.


Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is the royal patron of the children's mental health charity Place2Be and in her message she highlights the importance of giving youngsters the "tools to cope, and to thrive" as they encounter life's challenges.

The Duchess said in the message:

"This Children's Mental Health Week we want to support schools to prioritise the emotional wellbeing of their students, alongside academic success.

By ensuring every child is given the emotional support they need, we are giving them a firm foundation for the happy healthy future they deserve.

Many of us are incredibly fortunate that the issues we face in childhood are ones we can cope with and learn from. But for some children, learning to cope with life's challenges can be a struggle," she continues. While we cannot always change a child's circumstances, we can give them the tools to cope, and to thrive. With early support they can learn to manage their emotions and feelings and know when to seek help.

Through my work in areas like addiction, I have seen time and again that the roots of poor mental health in adulthood frequently stems from unresolved childhood issues. This needs to change."

The Duchess, an advocate of early intervention to resolve childhood problems that often become much bigger ones in adulthood, recorded the message in her role as royal patron of the children's mental health charity Place2Be.

The Duchess wore Rebecca Taylor Suit Dress. The Duchess first wore the jacket and skirt in April 2012 for the Scott Amundsen Centenary Race to the South Pole and more recently in New Zealand in 2014. The suit is from the designer's Pre-Fall 2012/2013 Collection.