Kate Middleton Shows Why She's the Children's Princess During School Visit
- - Kate Middleton Shows Why She's the Children's Princess During School Visit
Simon PerryFebruary 12, 2026 at 7:40 PM
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Kate Middleton visits school on Feb. 12, 2026
Toby Shepheard / Kensington Palace
Kate Middleton is stepping out to support a longstanding cause, children's mental health
The Princess of Wales visited a school to mark Children's Mental Health Week
The week of activities is organized by one of her key charities, Place2Be
Kate Middleton is living up to her nickname as the Children's Princess.
The Princess of Wales, 44, visited a school on Thursday, Feb. 12, as she helps young students mark Children’s Mental Health Week.
The week was organized by charity Place2Be, one of Princess Kate’s longstanding charity commitments. The charity launched the annual week to raise awareness of mental health in 2015. Princess Kate has been a patron of the charity, which works with schools to support well-being, since 2013.
It is part of her long-term championing of the importance of supporting the creation of nurturing, supportive environments to engender emotional well-being and intervening as early as possible, and Place2Be has been an important partner in that from the beginning.
Kate Middleton visits school on Feb. 12, 2026
Toby Shepheard / Kensington Palace
Princess Kate, who stepped out a day after her husband Prince William wound up his three-day tour to Saudi Arabia, visited Castle Hill Academy in Croydon, South London, on Feb. 12, 2026. There, the school has worked with Place2Be to embed mental health and wellbeing into daily school life through its Whole School Approach, providing children with skills they can develop to help them thrive.
The Princess of Wales began her visit at the school’s Early Years outdoor play space, which was created with the support of Deloitte, a member of The Royal Foundation Business Task Force for Early Childhood. It uses Place2Be’s therapeutic principles to promote emotional regulation, sensory exploration and creative play, the royal's office at Kensington Palace said.
Kate Middleton visits school on Feb. 12, 2026
Toby Shepheard / Kensington Palace
Kate then spent some of the morning meeting parents to hear how they have benefitted (some even used the Place2Be services as pupils). She also spoke with teachers and Place2Be practitioners to hear how trusted relationships, creativity and play help children express themselves and build confidence and see what the school community is doing to celebrate Children’s Mental Health Week.
At the school’s art studio, Princess Kate joined children taking part in the official Children’s Mental Health Week art project, developed by The Art Room at Place2Be. There, children create “belonging maps,” helping them to consider the people, places and experiences that help them feel secure and connected.
The royal mom of three also spent time with Castle Hill Academy and Place2Be leadership to discuss the organization’s whole-school approach to supporting children’s mental health, as well as the unique challenges facing children and families in the area of New Addington, Croydon.
Kate Middleton visits school on Feb. 12, 2026
Toby Shepheard / Kensington Palace
Sharing a personal message on social media after the visit, as indicated by signing the note with her first initial "C" for Catherine, the Princess of Wales said, "This year's Place2Be Children’s Mental Health Week is about the importance of belonging. It can be easy to overlook the importance of the things that matter most: love, care and time spent together. Belonging and connection is so important, and is a fundamental part of early childhood development. As Patron of Place2Be, I am incredibly proud of the work they do to support families and communities to nurture children and young people."
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Kate Middleton visits school on Feb. 12, 2026
Richard Pohle-WPA Pool/Getty
Since starting her mission to improve the well-being of children, Kate has widened it to set up a bespoke Centre for Early Childhood under the Royal Foundation to coordinate all her office's allied work in the area.
Last year, that led to the U.K.-wide Shaping Us Framework which outlined the crucial life skills that support children’s social and emotional development – how they manage their emotions and thoughts, to how they communicate, build relationships and explore the world around them.
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