Kate Middleton's silence has often been discussed by royal watchers, as the 33-year-old has never given an interview following her engagement to Prince William back in 2011. The Duchess has rarely addressed the public since her marriage, and according to the Daily Beast, friends of the mother of two claim that she is nervous about public speaking.
However, on Wednesday, Nov. 18, the royal gave a rare speech at the Place2Be Headteacher Conference in central London to raise awareness on the issue of children's mental health.
For the appearance, the Duchess wore a grey Matthew Williamson dress with a turquoise and gold encrusted detail. The royal first wore the dress to the "African Cats" premiere in 2012.
In her speech, the Duchess said, "I often get asked why I decided to spend time highlighting the mental health of children…I know I was lucky. My parents and teachers provided me with a wonderful and secure childhood where I always knew I was loved, valued, and listened to. But of course, many children are not so lucky."
The Duchess said that all children deserve time, attention and love from the adults in their lives and that many children, even those from happy and stable homes, are finding "that their heads are just too full."
"It is our duty, as parents and as teachers, to give all children the space to build their emotional strength and provide a strong foundation for their future," she continued.
It was reported that the Duchess wrote the speech herself and that royal aides reportedly said that her address was "very much her own."
Media outlets have noted that the Duchess seemed to have improved since her last speech. The Duchess Kate blog reports that royal reporter Victoria Murphy tweeted that the Duchess' public speaking was "much improved since her first speech" and that she is more relaxed and has dropped her hand gestures.
It is believed that she has been recently receiving public speaking and media training as she returns to her royal duties following the birth of her second child, Princess Charlotte, earlier this year.
