Royal fans praise Princess of Wales for ‘sweet’ gesture to little boy at children’s centre

Kate Middleton knelt down to speak to the three-year-old

The Princess of Wales has won the hearts of fans after giving a little boy her remembrance poppy pin during a visit to a children’s centre on Wednesday (9 November).

Kate Middleton went to Colham Manor Children’s Centre in west London to learn about maternal mental health and meet staff and clients. She is patron of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, a charity and network of more than 100 organisations helping women affected by issues like depression during or after pregnancy.

At one point during the visit, she knelt down to chat with a three-year-old boy named Akeem, who asked the princess her name.

Kate introduced herself and offered him the red poppy pinned to her coat lapel and told him it was to “remember all the soldiers who died in the war”.

The gesture was praised by fans, who thought it was “sweet” of the princess to give up her poppy for Akeem.

“What a wonderful woman, truly wonderful,” one person tweeted.

Another said that Kate, who is married to the Prince of Wales, is “so natural and sweet with children”, while a third said she displayed “grace, elegance, humanity and love”.

During her tour, Kate spoke to a group of mothers with their children and asked them if they thought there is “stigma attached to reaching out” to ask for post-partum help.

One mother, Shanitta Campbell from Housnlow, told the princess: “It’s hard to reach out but once you do, you can get the support you need.”

Kate said at a roundtable discussion with health workers, midwives and other professionals: “It is amazing what you’ve achieved… How easy is it for other communities to replicate what’s going on here? It is doable?”

Dr Chrissy Jayarajah, a consultant perinatal psychiatrist with Hillingdon Perinatal Services, told her it was “absolutely” doable.

Six centres, funded by the London borough of Hillingdon, integrate mental health care alongside the usual services and collaborate with the NHS and voluntary organisations.

Kate said of her meeting with the mothers: “I was chatting to mums, lots of different life experiences, different experiences of engaging with their community here, but also the community services in general, and I think a real appreciation, I suppose, of what’s happening here.”

Additional reporting by PA