Duchess of Cambridge celebrates Place2Be: “You also taught me that it’s the simplest things that make a difference to children”

The Duchess of Cambridge held a special reception for one of her earliest patronages at Buckingham Palace on Monday evening, spotlighting the work of children’s charity Place2Be.

After meeting with Place2Be’s staff, organisers, families and children, Kate gave a speech praising the charity, saying “Place2Be was one of the first charities I became patron of. I knew it was special then, but having spent many years since, learning about the importance of childhood development, I see even more the value in the work that you do and I am hugely grateful for all that you have taught me over the past seven years.”

She continued, “You taught me, right from the start, that the children in your schools are only as happy and emotionally strong as the adults in their care. That is why you take such great pride in the work you do with your teachers and your parents.

“You taught me the importance of creating safe and nurturing environments within schools, embracing a holistic view of emotional well-being which permeates through the whole school system. You also taught me that it’s the simplest things that make a difference to children. It’s the quality time that is spent with them. It’s the time you take to listen to them. It is trusting relationships that have the most profound impact on the emotional and mental well-being of a child.”

The Duchess revealed to schoolchildren that one of Prince Louis’s favourite songs is ‘Happy Birthday’ after she wished two of them well for their birthdays.

The schoolchildren formed a choir, made up of pupils at New North Academy and Salusbury School, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to write their own song about self-esteem. Kate gushed over the song, asking the children, “You’ve written it especially for tonight? Thank you so much. What a treat for me!”

Dame Benny Refson, Place2Be’s founder, also gave a speech revealing the origins of the charity, “When I worked as a counsellor with young people it seemed that much of their unhappiness lay in their early childhood.”

Place2Be provides mental health support and counselling to young people across the UK and is now operational in 600 schools and has helped over 250,000 children. The Duchess of Cambridge chose Place2Be as one of her first four patronages in 2013 and has supported the charity’s work over the years, including Children’s Mental Health Week, which launched in 2015.

Kensington Palace noted that “children’s mental health has long been a priority for The Duchess. Over the last eight years, she has explored how experiences in early childhood often lie at the root of the hardest social challenges the country faces today.

“What we experience in the earliest years – from in the womb to the age of five – is instrumental in shaping our future lives. Last month the Duchess launched the survey ‘5 Big Questions on the Under-Fives’, which aimed to spark the biggest ever conversation on early childhood that will ultimately help bring about positive, lasting change for generations to come.”