Here are some photos of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge out and about in London today. They were doing an event for Place2Be, which is one of Kate’s patronages, and it’s one of the charities that falls under the Heads Together umbrella. This is the start of Children’s Mental Health Week, so Will and Kate met with children at the Mitchell Brook Primary School, with the goal of “starting the conversation” with kids about their mental health.

For the event, Kate wore this red suit by Luisa Spagnoli, which she has worn several times over the years. This suit has been in her closet since before she was married! And it still looks good-ish. The peplum drives me up the wall, but I do like Kate in red, and I enjoy it when she chooses a suit with a straight skirt rather than some girlish, full-skirted dress. Still, she knew she was going to be spending time with kids for this event. Did she need to wear heels, just so she could tower over them? Kate also made a little speech or something at this event. Some highlights:

“People often ask me why I am so interested in the mental health of children and young people,” the Duchess of Cambridge began. “The answer is quite simple: it is because I think that every child should have the best possible start in life. When I was growing up I was very lucky. My family was the most important thing to me. They provided me with somewhere safe to grow and learn, and I know I was fortunate not to have been confronted by serious adversity at a young age. For some children, maybe there are some here today; I know that life can sometimes feel difficult and full of challenges.”

“I think that every child should have people around them to show them love, and to show them kindness, and nurture them as they grow. This is what Place2Be is doing so amazingly here in your school. My parents taught me about the importance of qualities like kindness, respect and honesty. I realize how central, values like these have been to me throughout my life. That is why William and I want to teach our little children, George and Charlotte just how important these things are as they grow up. In my view it is just as important as excelling at maths or sport.”

[From People & Evening Standard]

She cares about children’s mental health because she was “lucky” enough to be born into a supportive middle-class family, basically. This is a consistent problem with Kate’s message – she associates mental health with family upbringing, as if the only kids with mental health issues are the ones without supportive families, and if you have a supportive and wealthy family, your mental health will be a lot better overall. I understand the point she’s trying to get to, but Poor Jason and her speechwriters need to get Kate to move off of talking about mental health in terms of her own privileged upbringing. Also: is kindness just as important as math or sports? I’m really asking.

Photos courtesy of WENN.