The Prince and Princess of Wales in Birmingham for World Mental Health Day 2023

The Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, attended an event marking the Mental Health Day 2023 in Birmingham. The Royal foundation organized a forum called ‘Exploring our Emotional Worlds’ in partnership with The Mix and with the support of BBC Radio 1. The event was part of the series of engagements that William and Kate will be undertaking this week to mark the Mental Health Awareness week.

While we usually talk about Catherine, The Princess of Wales’ style of the day at the end of the engagement discussion – today her outfit was much more than just a sartorial tribute. The vibrant colour of her blazer and the new pair of earrings that Kate donned today meant a lot to so many people who look upto her for inspiration.

This year’s theme is “Our minds, our rights“. Mental Health is one of the primary focus of Prince William and Princess Kate’s public role. In 2016, the Royal couple launched a campaign ‘Heads Together’ to break the stigma around the mental health and emotional well-being. The visit to Birmingham coincided with the release of the Royal Foundation’s mental health survey, which finds most young people fear for their friends. Conducted through the Royal Foundation, the survey of 3,000 young people found that the majority of them are struggling with various mental health issues.

• Six in ten (59%) 16-24 years old think it’s very important for young people to have greater awareness and understanding of social and emotional skills
• Four in ten (39%) 16–24-year-olds feel that they don’t manage their emotions very well
• Around two-thirds (65%) of 16-24 year olds say their mental health is very important to them

About today’s engagement, People Mag reported,

“Soon after arriving at Birmingham’s Factory Works center, the couple participated in some workshops, with Kate and others taking turns to describe a feeling from an emotion wheel while others around the table had to guess what they were explaining. Sharvari Patil, 21, a volunteer with The Mix, said Kate “was very invested and I thought that she was really listening to us. She got very involved with the games. I felt very well listened to.” 

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The Forum brought together 100 young delegates nominated by 10 leading mental health and youth engagement charities to start a conversation about how they manage their emotions and how they can be supported to build their resilience and protective factors such as healthy relationships which make it easier to navigate bumps in the road as they go through life.

About the engagement, Kensington Palace Said,  “Featuring famous faces from Radio 1 and the wider mental health space, the event will give the young attendees the opportunity to talk about the specific mental health challenges their generation faces, explore what more they could do to understand and manage their emotions and discuss the solutions that could support them to better look after their own and each other’s mental well being”.

The forum was hosted by BBC1Xtra presenter, Nadia Jae, and featured contributions from TV doctor, Alex George, BBC Radio 1 presenter, Katie Thistleton and the Founding Director of Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Marc Brackett PhD.

It was one of the few engagements where Catherine, The Princess of Wales, gave a speech. Addressing the gathering, The Princess said, “Today, more people feel empowered to talk about their mental health than ever before. This is a major step forward. William and I continue to be inspired to see young people, like you all here today, leading this charge – being particularly brave in having some of those conversations yourselves. As a generation, you value and talk more about your mental health than any before you – something we truly admire and applaud“.

The Prince and Princess of Wales joined young people as they participate in a series of workshops that are being run in partnership with The Mix and National Citizen Service. These focused on emotions, relationships and community action. From The Daily Telegraph’s report, “The Telegraph understands that it is a “signal” for the future and that the couple plan to launch projects on mental health next year through their Royal Foundation.”

What The Princess of Wales wore to 2023 Mental Health Day Event

• L.K. Bennett Mya Blazer – (Repeat – Debuted in May 2023)
• Boden Clothing Cashmere Crew Neck Jumper – (Repeat – Debuted in February 2022 during PACT visit)
• Roland Mouret Axon Wide-leg Trousers– (Repeat – debuted in December 2021 at the ‘Together at Christmas’)
• Anderson’s Croc-Effect Leather Belt – (Repeat – October 2021 Derby University visit)
• Ear Sass Issy Star Earrings – (New)
• Russell and Bromley 100 Point Blade Heel Court Shoes – (Repeat – September 2022 Commonwealth troops visit)

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When it came to the Princess of Wales style of the day. There was no surprise as Kate chose to stuck to her new found corporate look. But there were two elements of her look that were a sartorial tribute to Mental health day. Her yellow L.K. Bennett Mya Blazer was a node to the #HelloYellow theme of Young Minds charity that works for young people’s mental health.

While her new Ear Sass Issy Star Earrings were an emotional gift. The gold-plated star-shaped earrings were gifted to the Princess of Wales in May this year during a Rugby engagement by Sarah Renton, a Maidenhead Rugby Club coach whose daughter — Isobelle Phipps, 17 — died by suicide earlier this year. The Princess at that time promised her that she will definitely wear the earrings and we don’t think there could be more appropriate occasion.

We will see The Princess of Wales again this week for a couple of more engagements before their Children’s half term break on Friday.