The Duchess of Cambridge has begun her guest editing role on The Huffington Post UK. In her first blog post written for the news site, Kate explained why she is launching the Young Minds Matter initiative, and shared her hopes for her children Prince George and Princess Charlotte as they grow up.
The 34-year-old said that her role as Patron of a number of different charities, including Place2Be and Action on Addiction has helped her to see that many problems in adulthood stem from unresolved childhood issues.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKate guest edited The Huffington Post UK
Kate continued to say that as parents, she and Prince William will encourage their children to discuss their feelings openly as they grow up to maintain their mental wellbeing.
"Like most parents today, William and I would not hesitate to seek help for our children if they needed it," Kate wrote. "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.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKate is guest editing the Huffington Post UK
"We know there is no shame in a young child struggling with their emotions or suffering from a mental illness."
The Duchess is guest editing the online news site from a temporary newsroom set up at Kensington Palace. In preparation for the day Kate has already helped to commission a series of articles, blogs and videos from several leading figures in the mental health sector that she has previously worked with.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKate chatted with children who feature in the Young Minds Matter film report
The content will draw attention to the inspiring work being done by parents, teachers, young people and researchers around the country. It will be released on The Huffington Post site throughout the day using the hashtag #YoungMindsMatter, and aims to inspire families and teachers to discuss mental health with children and young people.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKate has become patron of the Anna Freud Centre
During her guest edit, The Duchess will discuss the content of the articles with the reporters and authors, and will also take part in the planning process for when the material will be released throughout the day.
Kate's ongoing commitment to supporting children's mental health issues is clear, and on Wednesday it was announced that she had become patron of the Anna Freud Centre, which works to reduce the burden of mental health difficulties of children and young people.
