Princess Catherine made a much-anticipated appearance in London today as she visited children’s mental health charity Anna Freud. The Princess of Wales, who is a patron of the charity, has visited the centre on multiple occasions before, with one notable visit taking place during Mental Health Awareness Week in 2023.
Looking typically elegant in a blue and black-coloured houndstooth outfit, the Princess smiled as she was welcomed to the charity.
This latest appearance has taken place after the Princess’s speech at the Future Workforce Summit, where she spoke about the importance of consistent, nurturing relationships in creating the grounded environments a child needs to thrive. Catherine also issued a call to business leaders and urged them to prioritise “time and tenderness” alongside profit and success.
The Princess has served as Anna Freud’s patron since 2016. It is the top organisation in the UK for evidence-based research and training on children, young people and families’ mental health. The charity’s goal is to create a world where young people are able to reach their full potential, while they and their families get all the support they need, so that they can develop their emotional and mental health.
Research collected by the charity indicates that people who are more socially connected have fewer mental health problems. However, young people in Britain are more likely to report feelings of loneliness than any other age group, with 70% of 18–24-year-olds reporting they feel lonely at least some of the time.
During the visit this week, the Princess will meet the charity’s Chief Executive, Professor Eamon McCrory, and discuss how Anna Freud is transforming mental health care for babies, children and young people through science, collaboration and clinical innovation.
Thursday’s outing came after Catherine made a landmark speech at the Future Workforce Summit. The Princess, a fierce advocate for early years development, used the moment to speak about the importance of nurturing and consistent relationships in creating the grounded environments a child needs to thrive.
Catherine’s speech followed the announcement that the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood has invited researchers to submit proposals on how to combat “technoference,” a phenomenon that can cause unwanted distractions in parents’ relationships with their children.
The centre will fund £100,000 to support the new study, which will work with families across the UK to understand when and why these distractions occur, and test practical ways to reduce their impact. As a result, the move will help to shape future resources for practitioners such as health visitors and early years educators.