Everywhere she goes, Princess Catherine wins over the crowds. And on Wednesday, when she went on a special solo outing, the same was true.
As the Maternal Mental Health Alliance’s patron, the mother of three met with staff members, patients, and medical experts at Colham Manor Children’s Centre in Hillingdon, west London.
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To the delight of onlookers, she had the sweetest exchange with one young boy as she arrived at the center.
Caring Akeem was a chatty three-year-old when Catherine knelt down to talk to him. The young boy occasionally paused to admire the Princess’s memorial poppy, which was pinned to her coat.
The benevolent royal then immediately gave Akeem her own poppy before giving his happy mother the pin.
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The care offered in the London Borough of Hillingdon is targeted to better meet the needs of women and families, Catherine learned during her tour of the facility.
Catherine met the staff and volunteers as well as mothers and babies using the center. Catherine has made it her mission to improve the first five years of children’s lives in the belief that early intervention can prevent problems from arising in later life.
I think more locations like this would be so beneficial in bringing people together, she said. The Princess also shared with one mother: “What is being done here is amazing. The ability to integrate them is what’s important, not having more services.”
Saher Hussain, a different mother, who was present with her 12-month-old daughter Hanna, claimed to have experienced post-natal depression but had difficulty finding support when she previously resided in the nearby borough of Harrow. She said, “I was so afraid it would happen again, and unfortunately it did. However, Hillingdon has made it much simpler to find the support.
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For a roundtable discussion organized by the MMHA, Catherine met representatives from organizations working across perinatal services in Hillingdon, including specialist psychiatry staff, midwives, health visitors, and social workers.
The group discussed how the service evolved to meet the needs of the most at-risk mothers in their neighborhood, the effects this had, and opportunities for future development.
