The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge got stuck into a number of activities on a visit to a youth charity in Wolverhampton today.
Sporty Kate, 39, was in her element as she took part in an archery session and played a game of table tennis at the Way Youth Zone, a state-of-the-art facility that offers activities and support for young people.
Meanwhile William, 38, showed off his football skills – and jokingly blamed his formal footwear when he couldn’t take keep control of the ball.
The couple also shared a joke as they tried their hand at re-potting pot plants at a gardening station, laughing at each other as they donned their gloves.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge later visited Base25, which provides support for young people who have difficulties in accessing mainstream services. The engagements are all part of William and Kate’s efforts to mark Mental Health Awareness Week.
It comes as Prince Harry gave a wide-ranging interview on mental health to Hollywood podcast host Dax Shepard, telling him that he felt like an animal in the zoo and like his life was The Truman Show.
Eye on the prize! The Duchess of Cambridge kept her eye on the bullseye as she joined children for an archery session
How does your garden grow? The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were all smiles as they did some watering and planting during a visit to The Way Youth Zone in Wolverhampton, with Kate looking chic in a navy Tory Burch blouse and an elegant dark blue coat
Hitting away the competition: Kate joined Prince William for a game of table tennis at the Wolverhampton centre
A gift for George: The Duchess of Cambridge was presented with a graffiti sign with George’s name on it for the Prince
In their element: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge looked thrilled to be spending time with the youngsters today
Kate, 39, looked elegant in a polka dot blouse and black trousers as she arrived with William at The Way Youth Zone in Wolverhampton, to learn more about the work the organisation does. Right, William puts a protective arm around Kate
Fancy footwork: Prince William, 38, showed off his football schools by doing keepy uppies and jokingly blamed his shoes when he failed to keep control of the ball
Kate, who has made children’s mental health and childhood development the cornerstone of her royal work, looked elegant in a silk Tory Burch polka dot blouse and black wide-leg trousers.
Typically elegant, the Duchess of Cambridge accessorised with a simple clutch bag, delicate £95 Freya Rose drop earrings, a Halcyon Days bangle and a floral face mask. She finished the outfit with a navy blue Catherine Walker coat and suede wedges.
Dressing to match, Prince William looked smart in chinos, a shirt, jumper and blazer.
The Duke and Duchess joined a group of young people who use The Way’s services as they took part in a number of wellbeing sessions and met a group of HeadStart ambassadors.
Tomorrow the couple will lead influential voices from around the world in the Mental Health Minute – a special message broadcast each year to over 20 million people across 500 radio stations.
The initiative, created by Radiocentre and Somethin’ Else, and delivered in partnership with The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will support Shout 85258, the UK’s first free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service.
Waiting her turn: Kate Middleton was ready to get stuck into an archery session at the Wolverhampton children’s charity
Getting stuck in: Green-fingered Kate planted flowers in a pot (left) while football fan Will showed off his skills (right)
Game face: Prince William was the picture of concentration as he joined a group of girls to play table tennis
Sporty Kate! Duchess looked in her element as she got inolved in a game of table tennis at The Way Wolverhampton Youth Zone and showed her comptetitive side as she went up against Prince William
Showing off her skills! The Duchess of Cambridge looked ready to win as she went head-to-head with Prince William
Royally green fingers! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at a gardening session during a visit to The Way Youth Zone in Wolverhampton
High spirits: The couple looked relaxed in each other’s company as they donned gardening gloves and picked up trowels to do a spot of planting
Second stop: Later the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Base25, which provides support for young people who have difficulties in accessing mainstream service
Vital work: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge heard more about the work carried out by Base25 in Wolverhampton
Shout was researched and developed by The Royal Foundation as a legacy of the Heads Together campaign and launched in May 2019 by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The service provides round the clock support from clinical supervisors and trained volunteers to ensure that no one has to face their problems alone.
Meanwhile Prince Harry poured his heart out to a US mental health podcast where he admitted to hating royal life so much he wanted to quit in his ‘early 20s’ because of his mother’s death and revealed that his Meghan had concluded: ‘You don’t need to be a princess’.
The Duke of Sussex told Dax Shepard’s ‘Armchair Expert’ show that the couple tried to stay ‘incognito’ during his wife’s first trip to stay with him in London in 2016, where he lived at Kensington Palace, texting items for their shopping list from across food aisles.
The look of love! Kate and William exchanged smiles as they got stuck into a gardening task on their visit to a youth charity in Wolverhampton
Joking around: The Duke and Duchess couldn’t keep the smiles from their faces as they planted the flower pots today
Beaming! The Duchess of Cambridge smiled widely as she spoke to some of the children who use the charities services
Art attack! The Duchess of Cambridge met children taking part in a crafts session at the centre in Wolverhampton today
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sat in on a mental wellbeing session during a visit to The Way Youth Zone today
Open discussion: Prince William and Kate Middleton kept their masks on as they heard more about the charity’s work
Engaged: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge listened to children who benefit from The Way Youth Zone’s services
Harry also compared his life as a mixture of The Truman Show – when Jim Carrey’s character discovers his life is a TV show – and being an animal at the zoo as he discussed his mental health and listeners insisted he is developing an american twang to his British accent.
When asked if he felt ‘in a cage’ while in royal duties, he said: ‘It’s the job right? Grin and bear it. Get on with it. I was in my early twenties and I was thinking I don’t want this job, I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be doing this. Look what it did to my mum, how am I ever going to settle down and have a wife and family when I know it’s going to happen again’.
He added: ‘I’ve seen behind the curtain, I’ve seen the business model and seen how this whole thing works and I don’t want to be part of this’, before revealing he had therapy after meeting Meghan, which ‘burst’ a bubble and he decided to ‘stop complaining’.
Good spirits: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were in jovial moods on their visit to Base25 in Wolverhampton today
Mental health awareness: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge heard about the work the group does to support young people
Helping children: Kate and William at Base25, which works with an estimated 5000 young people each year
Support: Base25 offers a range of services including counselling, anger management classes and support on domestic issues
First-hand experience: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge heard from people directly involved in Base25