She has become a professional at Zoom calls during the lockdown, and now the Duchess of Cambridge has taken video calling one step further—doing her own outdoor broadcast. Kate Middleton turned the camera on herself while out on a walk in the Norfolk countryside, filming a video to raise awareness for Children’s Mental Health Week, which starts today.
Wearing a woolly hat to ward off the chill, the 39-year-old, who is patron of the children’s charity Place2Be which launched the initiative in 2015, talked about the importance not just of mental health for children, but for parents too.
“While this is Children’s Mental Health Week there has never been a more important time to talk about parental wellbeing and mental health too,” Kate says in the video. “Last year you told me just how important this was that many of us find it hard to prioritize. This is a hugely challenging time for us all so please look after yourself too. Find those ways in which to share your thoughts and your feelings or find someone to talk to because we really do need to be the very best versions of ourselves for the children in our care.”
This year Placce2Be has teamed up with BAFTA Kids and Oak National Academy to release a virtual assembly – in which pupils and well-known faces discuss the theme of the Week, as well as ways that children and young people can get involved at home
Kate’s unscripted message was one of her most natural video appearances, and a contrast to her usual videos where she is usually dressed up and in full makeup. Sources close to the Duchess say that Kate has become more confident in front of the camera and has learned to enjoy rather than dread video calls. She has set up a DIY shoot location at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, where the Cambridges are spending the lockdown, and apparently has a special stand for her laptop and a ring light to ensure the shot is well lit.
While Kate and William have their own videographer as part of their online team, they only have a skeleton staff at Anmer, including nanny Maria Borrallo who helps with home learning and meal times.
For the most part William and Kate have become self-sufficient at working from home, filming their virtual engagements by themselves. Vanity Fair has been told that Kate chooses her own outfits and even does her own hair and make-up. But for the Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week video she was keen to be outdoors and looking as normal and natural as possible. The Duchess has made a point of supporting families during the lockdowns. Last week she spoke to parents of a local primary school and chatted with them about some of the challenges of homeschooling, revealing that William had been her greatest support during the lockdown.
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