The Duchess of Cambridge will read CBeebies Bedtime Story for Children’s Mental Health Week on the BBC.
The Duchess will read The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson for the mental health week that lasts from 7 February through 13 February.
She chose this story as it aligns with the theme this year of “Growing Together.”
The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark is about growing in confidence and overcoming fears with the help of friends.
About the Duchess taking part in the reading of bedtime stories, Patricia Hidalgo, Director of BBC Children’s and Education, said: “I couldn’t be more proud to have The Duchess read a CBeebies Bedtime Story as we mark the 20th anniversary of our CBeebies and CBBC channels. It’s such a special and relevant tale and perfectly represents this years’ Children’s Mental Health week theme. I can’t wait to see her deliver her own take on such a classic story, and I’m sure our audience can’t either.”
The BBC will air the Duchess’s reading on Sunday 13 February at 6:50 pm.
The Duchess of Cambridge has made children and mental health two of her main focuses as a member of the Royal Family. She is patron of Place2Be – a children’s mental health charity that was launched in 2015. Through the Royal Foundation, she is keen to raise awareness of the importance of children’s mental health and launched the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in June 2021 to help with the issue.
Children’s Mental Health Week highlights the importance of children’s mental health across the UK. In 2022, both children and adults are being asked to see how they’ve grown, try new things and see that setbacks help them become stronger.