Prince William and Lady in Red Kate Open Up About Parenting

The Royals visited Young Minds on Wednesday in South East London.

ByABC News
August 25, 2016, 6:39 PM

— -- For the second day in a row, Prince William and Princess Kate met with children, parents and counselors seeking to provide a safe environment for children.

The Royals visited Young Minds on Thursday in South East London. The charity operates a helpline for those needing support and the Duke and Duchess observed at the call center and underwent training themselves. Young Minds is one of the eight charity partners of Heads Together, the mental health campaign that William, Kate and Harry set up to raise mental health awareness.

Princess Kate, in a remarkably candid moment, revealed that she and William naturally have concerns as Prince George and Prince Charlotte grow up. "We are parents ourselves, I am sure we will face worries -- we do face worries, because we've got small young children. If those worries escalate, how vital it is to get support -- and you are providing that support,” she said.

The couple have not been afraid to remind parents and teenagers that they too would seek help if their children needed it. William and Kate used the opportunity at the helpline calling center to remind those coping with the stress of growing up that there should be no shame in asking for help.

Kate added: “As a parent and as a mother, having that feeling that there is somebody there that is non-judgmental, that can provide the professional support, and that can really provide helping hand at a really difficult time.”

Duchess Kate looked regal in a scarlet red LK Bennett dress, the second day in a row she wore the designer to an engagement.

Prince William was also moved by the stories he heard on the helpline and the parents he and his wife spoke to.

"It is important that parents understand that you can’t be brilliant at everything. It is totally fine to talk about it and to seek help and to speak out because we’re not all superheroes. There is a lot of pressure on parents, and most of it is self-made by parents themselves, where you feel you have to be able to handle everything. You have to show strength and resilience to everything. But there are some times when it all gets too much and you need to reach out, and that’s totally fine," he said.

William and Kate have spent back-to-back days on a mission raising awareness on mental health. A spokeswoman for the Heads Together campaign said Prince William and Princess Kate along with Prince Harry hope "to change the conversation on mental wellbeing from one of fear and shame to one of support."

The Duke and Duchess met young people on Wednesday who had conquered mental health challenges ranging from suicide, self-mutilation, social exclusion, bullying, depression and overcoming the death of a parent.

Prince William comforted a 14-year-old boy at a hospice in Luton who had recently lost his mother, telling him how he too still misses his own mother, the late Princess Diana.

"I know how you feel, I miss my mother every day," he said, adding: "It's OK to feel sad."

While the future King and Queen listened to both the teenagers and parents they met over their two days of engagements there were some lighter moments also.

Prince William was asked by one young mother for Harry's phone number for her daughter. He joked "Oh no, you don't want that."

Kensington Palace said in a statement: "Through the Heads Together campaign, Their Royal Highnesses are keen to build on the great work that is already taking place across the country, to ensure that people feel comfortable with their everyday mental wellbeing, feel able to support their friends and families through difficult times, and that stigma no longer prevents people getting help they need.”

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