Ctrl. Alt. Enter, Duchess Catherine!
The Duchess of Cambridge has made a royally inspiring editing debut, taking the reins as the Huffington Post’s Guest Editor in a bid to raise awareness and understanding of children’s mental health issues.
Dipping her toes into the world of journalism, the Duchess shared an impassioned account of her personal experiences from her work with charities that focus on addiction, family breakdowns and vulnerable children.
For her first article in the Young Minds Matter series, Catherine discussed her hopes for her own children Prince George, 2, and Princess Charlotte, 9 months. The wife of Prince William explained she hopes they grow up emotionally aware.
“What I did not expect was to see that time and time again, the issues that led people to addiction and destructive decision making seemed to almost always stem from unresolved childhood challenges,” she wrote in her debut article.
“It became clear to me that many children – even those younger than five – have to deal with complex problems without the emotional resilience, language or confidence to ask for help. And it was also clear that with mental health problems still being such a taboo, many adults are often too afraid to ask for help for the children in their care.”
The mother-of-two went on to discuss her personal parenting approach.
“Like most parents today, William and I would not hesitate to seek help for our children if they needed it,” she explained.
“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. We know there is no shame in a young child struggling with their emotions or suffering from a mental illness.”
The royal has cemented her endeavors to fight for children’s mental health awareness after becoming the patron of the Anna Freud Centre, a children’s mental health charity she visited last year.
“The patronage reflects Her Royal Highness’s continued personal interest in children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing,” the Palace said in a statement.
Click through to check out the Duchess’ day at the Huffington Post HQ
You can read the Duchess of Cambridge’s full blog here
“It is such a privilege to have this opportunity to be Guest Editor of the Huffington Post today, and to celebrate the amazing work being done to improve and understand the mental health of young children,” the Duchess of Cambridge penned in her very first article for the site.
The royal decided she needed to take affirmative action in a bid to raise awareness and understanding of children’s mental health issue. “Shortly after I got married, I started working with charities helping those affected by issues such as addiction, family breakdown and vulnerable children. As was to be expected, I often heard some heart-breaking stories about lives that had been torn apart, with devastating impacts for all involved, particularly children.”
Catherine chats to Hayden Pearce as part of the Young Mind Matters series. It is designed to lead the conversation with children about mental and emotional health, so youngsters feel loved, valued and understood.
From a temporary newsroom set up in Kensington Palace, Kate oversaw the running of the site from articles, blogs and videos she commissioned to raise awareness about the psychological well-being of children.
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Shining a light on the cause, Catherine was delighted by her new friend Hayden.
Throughout the day, the cheeky young boy made the royal laugh.
It is Catherine’s hope that through a united effort, kids will feel comfortable discussing their problems. “Like most parents today, William and I would not hesitate to seek help for our children if they needed it,” she quipped.
Clearly a fabulous editor, the Duchess secured First Lady, Michelle Obama, to also help contribute. Michelle penned a post on the UK site, saying, “Far too often the stigma around mental health prevents people who need help from seeking it.”
Duchess Catherine is a “natural” at her new job
The 34-year-old was delighted by her young friends.
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Catherine paid tribute to the “extraordinary people and organisations” that have contributed to the mental health series, saying, “Together, we have the chance to make a real difference for an entire generation of young children.”
This royal knows her way around the web.
Editor in Chief Stephen Hull said, “She’s been really fundamental and actually a really good editor.”
