Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.Photo: KIN CHEUNG/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Kate Middletonmay be the Princess of Wales, but she told teens that she’s still learning about her royal role “every day.”
Princess Kate, 41,met young peoplefrom St. Katherine’s School in Bristol Tuesday who received mentoring from athletes throughThe Dame Kelly Holmes Trustas part of Mental Health Awareness Week. According to Holmes, the organization’s founder and two-time Olympic gold medalist, the students asked Kate about life as a member of the royal family.
“She said she ‘had to learn and she’s still learning every day,’ " Holmes tells PEOPLE.
Holmes added, “It’s a struggle to know you can be accepted and fit in.”
Holmes praised Princess Kate as “lovely because she was just willing to be asked questions. That was really nice because it showed somebody of her stature and status is human as well.”
Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales and Dame Kelly Holmes.Kin Cheung - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Holmes — whoseThe Dame Kelly Holmes Trustuses sports stars to pass on their winning mindset and give coaching to help children — tells PEOPLE that the Princess of Wales opened up about how she’s had to adjust to her public role.
“Doing public speaking isn’t a natural thing for lots of people, and she said she’s still working that out, how to project,” Holmes tells PEOPLE. “She humanized everything to show not everyone’s perfect.”
She adds, “It doesn’t matter what you’ve got or perceived to have as an individual — you’re still going to have those insecurities and need those learning tools that happen over life.”
The youth development organization brings well-being programs to children’s hospitals and schools — often targeting young people who have social, emotional and other mental health challenges.
Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.Kin Cheung - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Holmes praised Kate’s interactions with the children, telling PEOPLE, “She gave a lot of herself. I asked her the question of why she’s so passionate about mental health, and she believes ‘every young person should get a chance to be themselves.’ And every young person, especially a teenager, they’re going through a huge crisis at the moment.”
Kate also joined the students in a few beanbag games as well as “noughts and crosses” — known stateside as tic-tac-toe.
Kate Middleton.KIN CHEUNG/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
“Through sport, you find a fight and an inner desire to be good. Sport brings you so many life skills other than just playing. She’s sporty and is campaigning on mental health and that connection is wonderful,” Holmes tells PEOPLE, adding that Kate “knows the benefits of sport. For mental health and well-being, being active is so important.”
“We were privileged and honored to have her time,” says Holmes, who added that the princess said she enjoyed her visit with the children.
“Catherine said that what she loved about this [is] it allowed her to connect with normality,” Holmes tells PEOPLE. “It allows her to connect and just hear peoples' stories and kind of give her a leveler. It was lovely for her to have that time and pressure off her.”
Dame Kelly Holmes and Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales.Kin Cheung - WPA Pool/Getty Images
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Later in the week, the Princess of Wales will head to one of her longstanding charities, theAnna Freud Centrein London, where she will talk to students and also join a series of roundtable discussions with experts in the sector experts, the charity’s staff and those with lived experience of mental health challenges.
source: people.com
