Prince William today apologized for Kate’s absence during a school visit, adding that she “would have loved” to come.
The Prince of Wales, 41, traveled to Rowley Regis, Sandwell, to meet pupil Freddie Hadley, 12, after receiving a letter last year inviting him to see mental health initiatives at his school, the school St Michael’s Church of England Secondary School.
William praised Freddie for his outstanding letter, telling a member of staff: “A lot of people write letters, but Freddie’s was very well written.” I promised I would come.
But for William, the moment was bittersweet as he was without Kate, 42, who withdrew from public engagements after beginning a course of “preventive” chemotherapy.
‘I’m sorry Catherine can’t be here too. “She would have loved it,” William told a staff member.
Prince William today greeted Freddie Hadley (left) and praised him for his “very well-written” letter outlining his school’s mental health initiatives.
The Princess of Wales announced she was battling cancer last month, amid growing pressure for the Palace to comment on her condition.
In the emotional message, filmed in Windsor, Kate revealed that the news came as a “huge shock” and that she and William “have been doing everything they can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.”
Today was the first time William undertook what is known as a “day of royal absence” since news of the Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnosis and treatment was publicly announced.
Given her commitment to improving children’s mental wellbeing with the Shaping Us campaign, Kate would probably have enjoyed today’s commitment.
Freddie Hadley, 12, posted his letter on X, formerly Twitter, on World Mental Health Day last October, telling the royals about the brilliant work he and his friends at St Michael’s Church of England secondary school in Rowley Regis, Sandwell, were doing.
To her delight, William responded personally, writing: ‘Good afternoon Freddie, I’m so sorry Catherine and I can’t be with you and the rest of the students at St Michael’s today. ‘It is so important to address mental health challenges and stigmas head-on; Please continue with this important work. W’
But Freddie’s letter clearly had a deeply moving effect on the prince, who asked his team to secretly organize a visit to the school the next time he planned public engagements in the West Midlands.
And today he surprised the student and his classmates by arriving without prior notice as the first of three commitments in the region.
William apologized for Kate’s absence, adding that she “would have loved” to be there (seen in November)
William is pictured shaking hands with 12-year-old Freddie Hadley, who made the initial invitation to visit the school.
Freddie Hadley, 12, wrote to the Prince of Wales last year telling him about the initiative he and his classmates had set up to help pupils manage their mental health.
After initially sending his apologies for not being able to visit Freddie and his classmates, William greeted St Michael’s School today ahead of their arrival.
It is the first time William has undertaken what is known as a “day of royal absence” since news of the Princess of Wales’s cancer diagnosis and treatment was publicly announced.
Freddie had no idea the Prince was coming to visit him; Instead, he and his companions were told to prepare to receive a VIP guest… The Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands.
Even when he saw the array of cars with a police escort approaching the campus, he said later, it still didn’t click.
But when he saw William get out of the car, a wide smile broke out on his face.
“So this is the young man who started it all,” William said. It’s a pleasure to see you, thank you for your letter.’ “You’re welcome,” Freddie replied.
—Did you think you would get an answer like that? the prince asked. “Yes, I did,” Freddie said.
“Oh, you did, that’s confidence,” William laughed. He asked: ‘Why did you decide to write to me?’
Freddie explained that he had been very impressed with the royals’ work on mental health issues.
During his visit, William met with representatives from Student Voice and spoke with students about mental health.
Prince William revealed Princess Charlotte’s favorite joke this morning during a surprise visit to the school on an engagement day in the West Midlands, where he joined Freddie Hadley (centre) on the school radio station.
Inside the school, William was taken to meet the school’s “wellbeing champions” and given a cup of “positivity tea.”
The prince apologized for not being able to attend when he was first invited to World Mental Health Day, but said he hoped he had made up for it.
Inside the building, William told a member of staff: ‘Lots of people write letters, but Freddie’s was very well written. I promised I would come. And he added: “I’m sorry Catherine can’t be here too.” She would have loved it.
St. Michael’s employs a whole-school approach to mental health and well-being and, in May 2022, earned the Gold Standard award from the Carnegie Center of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools.
The school launched ‘Student Voice’ in 2012, which consists of up to 100 students who meet at lunchtimes, after school, in the afternoons and during school terms to develop initiatives ranging from fundraising to mental health, including working with older members of the community.
Their team of enthusiastic student wellbeing ambassadors also help design and implement a range of initiatives to support students.
Prince William greets a crowd of royal fans as he visits a school in Sandwell today
During his visit William plans to meet with representatives from Student
Speak up and join a session with the Matrix Project, which was created to highlight men’s mental health and brings together boys aged 11-14 weekly to develop ideas and projects to address mental health challenges.
The group launched its #AmIManlyEnough campaign last year to address
the stigma around male mental health and encouraging men and boys to communicate more about their feelings.
You will also join a workshop with a larger group of students who will discuss a range of topics related to mental health and wellbeing, including designing your own calm down kits and the wellbeing center of your dreams.
During the visit, William revealed that when he started doing the actual work, he never initially intended to consider mental health as his most championed cause.
In his letter to William last year, Freddie wrote clearly that he and his friends had created #AMIMANLYENOUGH. with the goal of addressing the stigma that “girls cry and boys get angry.”
“Through our work we discovered that suicide is the leading cause of death among young men and this will not change unless people start the conversation,” he wrote with extraordinary maturity.
“Our passion for mental health has given us opportunities to organize and lead community events, present at national conferences, participate in radio interviews, and even gain celebrity endorsements.”
He invited the heir to the throne to join the ‘soft launch’ of his campaign on World Mental Health Day as a VIP guest.
And although William sadly had to decline that opportunity, he decided to go see his work in action at some point in the near future.