Kate Middleton Highlights Youth Mental Health Work at Anna Freud Centre

Kate Middleton put her focus on children’s mental health during a return visit to one of the organizations closest to her long-running charitable work.

The Princess of Wales visited the Anna Freud Centre in London on May 18, 2023, during Mental Health Awareness Week, meeting mental health professionals, researchers and young people as part of her continued efforts to raise awareness around emotional well-being.

The visit was particularly significant because anxiety was the theme of Mental Health Awareness Week that year. Kate used the occasion to learn more about programs designed to help young people understand anxious feelings and develop healthier ways of managing them.

Her appearance also highlighted one of the central areas of her public work: improving support for children and families during their earliest years and encouraging more open conversations about mental health.

Kate Middleton returns to Anna Freud Centre

Kate has maintained a longstanding connection with the Anna Freud Centre and serves as its patron. The London-based organization brings together professionals working across mental health, education and social care, with a focus on improving outcomes for children, young people and families.

During her latest visit, Kate joined discussions involving specialists from the center as well as people with personal experience of mental health challenges.

The conversations explored how children and young people can receive better support for their emotional well-being, both now and as they move into adulthood.

The Princess has frequently emphasized the importance of creating environments where children feel comfortable talking about difficult emotions. Her work has increasingly focused on the connection between children’s experiences, relationships and their long-term development.

At the Anna Freud Centre, she was able to see how those ideas are being translated into practical programs.

Young people help shape an anxiety education project

One of the most important parts of Kate’s visit involved a group of high school students who were participating in activities centered on anxiety.

The students had contributed to the creation of an animation and teacher resource called “Let’s Talk About Anxiety.”

The project was designed to help young people recognize anxiety as a normal human emotion while also giving them practical information about ways they can respond when anxious feelings become difficult to manage.

Rather than simply being recipients of the material, the students involved had a role in developing it. Their experiences and perspectives helped shape the educational resources.

The initiative forms part of the Anna Freud Centre’s wider “Closing the Gap” strategy, which seeks to encourage new approaches to mental health support and address inequalities affecting children and young people.

Access to mental health services became an even more prominent concern following the COVID-19 pandemic, when many children and families experienced disruption to education, social connections and everyday routines.

Kate’s visit therefore placed particular attention on the importance of accessible support for young people at a time when anxiety and emotional health have become increasingly important topics.

Kate speaks openly about learning to manage anxiety

The visit came shortly after Kate had discussed her own experiences with anxiety and the challenges that can accompany life in the public eye.

While meeting schoolgirls taking part in a mentoring program connected with the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, Kate reportedly acknowledged that she has had to learn how to handle certain aspects of her role.

Dame Kelly Holmes later shared details of their conversation, explaining that Kate had spoken about still learning and developing her confidence.

Public speaking was one of the areas discussed.

Holmes said Kate acknowledged that speaking in front of large groups does not necessarily come naturally to everyone and that she was still working on how she projects herself.

The comments offered a more personal glimpse into the pressures associated with being a senior member of the British royal family.

Holmes also praised Kate for being willing to answer questions and described the interaction as an example of the Princess showing a more relatable side of herself.

The conversation also fit naturally with Kate’s broader message around mental health: people do not have to appear completely confident or have everything figured out in order to seek help, learn new skills or support others.

Why early mental health support matters

Much of Kate’s charitable work has centered on children and the early stages of development.

Her involvement with the Anna Freud Centre reflects her belief that supporting children before problems become more serious can have long-term benefits.

Mental health difficulties can affect young people in different ways, and anxiety is not necessarily an indication that something is wrong. Feeling nervous, worried or uncertain is a normal part of life.

The challenge comes when those feelings become overwhelming or begin interfering with everyday activities.

Educational programs such as “Let’s Talk About Anxiety” aim to give children a better vocabulary for discussing those emotions.

For teachers and parents, resources like these can also make difficult conversations easier. A young person may not always know how to explain what they are experiencing, so having age-appropriate language and tools can provide an important starting point.

That emphasis on communication has been a recurring feature of Kate’s work around children’s mental health.

Kate’s role with the Centre for Early Childhood

The Anna Freud Centre visit also connected with another major part of Kate’s public work: the Centre for Early Childhood.

Professor Peter Fonagy, a leading figure associated with the Anna Freud Centre, has also been part of the advisory team supporting Kate’s Centre for Early Childhood.

The Princess launched the Centre for Early Childhood as part of her efforts to increase understanding of the importance of the earliest years of a child’s life.

Her work in this area has focused on how early relationships, experiences and environments can influence children’s development and future well-being.

By bringing researchers, practitioners and communities into the conversation, the initiative seeks to encourage greater public understanding of early childhood development.

The relationship between early development and mental health makes organizations such as the Anna Freud Centre a natural fit within Kate’s wider charitable interests.

A familiar fashion choice for the royal visit

While the focus of Kate’s appearance was firmly on mental health, her outfit also caught attention because it was not a new look.

The Princess wore a dress by Suzannah London, a designer whose pieces have also been worn by other members of the royal family.

Kate had previously worn the same dress in white for a memorial service marking the fifth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire.

For the Anna Freud Centre engagement, she paired the outfit with two-tone heels by Alessandra Rich.

The decision to repeat an outfit was consistent with Kate’s established approach to royal fashion, where pieces from her wardrobe are sometimes worn again for different public engagements.

Although fashion often becomes part of the conversation surrounding royal appearances, the substance of this visit remained focused on young people’s emotional health.