Kate Middleton's Promise To Grieving Mom Reinforces Importance Of Youth Mental Health

Catherine, Princess of Wales, has transitioned seamlessly from her life as Kate Middleton to one as a representative of Buckingham Palace. Kate's inspiring charity work includes patronages of arts and sports organizations, as well as those tackling substance abuse and mental health. As the mother of three school-aged children, she's also passionate about causes that benefit youth. When Kate isn't busy being a mom or attending state affairs, the princess can usually be found visiting schools, museums, support groups, and other locations to speak about these causes and hear what others have to say. 

Like her fellow royals, Kate always dresses impeccably for such occasions and often wears certain accessories for a particular reason. For instance, the tiara Kate Middleton recently wore to a Jordanian royal wedding had special significance: It was the Lover's Knot Tiara, the headpiece favored by Princess Diana. For her most recent public appearance on June 7, she dressed down somewhat, sporting a blue rugby shirt and ponytail as she joined in a rousing game at a rugby club. 

Still, she kept her late mother-in-law in her heart by wearing her engagement ring too, which had once been Diana's. After the game, Kate was gifted another piece of jewelry. It was far less fancy than a sapphire ring, but it was no less valuable.

Known for her love of sports and the outdoors, Catherine, Princess of Wales, is a patron of the Rugby Football Union. She put her skills to the test recently when she played a game of "walking rugby" with the Maidenhead Rugby Club (similar to America's touch football, walking rugby is a non-contact form of the rather rigorous sport). 

While there, Kate Middleton met Sarah Renton, who coaches preteen boys in the rugby club. It was a poignant meeting: Renton's teen daughter, rugby player Issy Phipps, had taken her own life just five weeks earlier. Per Marie Claire, the two mothers exchanged a heartfelt hug (seen above), and Renton gifted the princess a pair of star-shaped earrings. 

Issy's cousin Sophie, a jewelry designer, created the earrings in Issy's memory, and proceeds from sales go to the Brave Mind charity, which supports mental health for rugby players. Renton confirmed that the princess promised to wear the memorial earrings (via The U.S. Sun). As she told the Daily Mail following their meeting, "Mental health is such an important issue." 

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Just as Kate Middlteon's outfit for Queen Elizabeth's funeral procession contained hidden messages of support, we'll know that if we see her donning the stars, she's thinking of a young life gone too soon. Even before the Princess of Wales crossed paths with the grieving mother, though, this wasn't merely a jolly rugby game conducted for fun. Kate was at the club to promote Shaping Us, the campaign she founded to raise awareness of the importance of early childhood.

A child's mental and emotional health is strongly impacted by the amount of support and education they receive by age five and the princess wants to raise awareness about how pivotal these early years are. Alongside Shaping Us, she also launched a Business Taskforce for Early Childhood earlier this year, which Kensington Palace informed People would further her work to prioritize children's growth and development.

Speaking at NatWest bank's London headquarters in March 2023, to a group of important leaders in the business field, the princess clarified that her mission "is also about building healthy communities in which they can grow" since a child's environment is also crucial to their mental health. Kate explained that the gathered titans have an important role to play in ensuring that children have the proper support as they grow.