#prince-william

The Duchess of Cambridge makes news for two things: clothes and babies. A chic white coat? A bump under her belt? Both send the media into a tizzy.   She recently stunned in a winter white MaxMara coat, crashed a website after wearing a dress by Madderson London, and even shopped her closet for a Jenny Packham gown she had previously worn. But don’t forget she’s a real-life royal, meaning her life is actually devoted to doing good deeds. In a video posted Monday morning, Middleton wears a printed wrap dress from Jaeger, but she’s delivering an important message that shouldn’t be overshadowed by her outfit. 

"Both William and I have seen that many young people are struggling to cope with the impact of bullying, bereavement, domestic violence, family breakdown, and more," she said in the video, which was posted to place2be’s YouTube channel. “Without support, the effects of these challenges can be traumatic, leading to serious issues such as anxiety, depression, and addiction, and self harm. The stigma around mental health means that many children do not get the help that they so badly need. This needs to change.”

The video appeal for mental health week is rare for Middleton. The royal tends to bring attention to her causes by physically working with and for the charities she champions. Hearing the Duchess speak, as opposed to observing her good deeds, is especially powerful. While the media has historically devalued the intelligent 33-year-old to a vessel for carrying heirs and a pretty trophy wife for Prince William, her impact is much more powerful than many give the pregnant mom of Prince George credit for. We all care about Middleton’s closet and perfect hair—and that’s OK—but it behooves us to forget she’s plenty more than that. 

Prince William started his first day as an air ambulance pilot on Monday but when talking to reporters, the 33-year-old royal couldn’t help but gush over his family, including his wife of 4 years. 

“Catherine has been doing an amazing job as a mother, and I’m very proud of her,” he said. The proud dad also described his 2-month-old Princess Charlotte as “a little joy of heaven, but at the same time, it is more responsibility, looking after two little ones, especially when George is around,” he noted with a smile. “He’s a little monkey." 

Photo by Mario Testino/Art Partner

Only days after Kate Middleton and Prince William baptized daughter Princess Charlotte, Kensington Palace has released four official photos of the ceremony taken by famed photographer Mario Testino.

In one shot, Kate Middleton smiles while holding Charlotte and gazing at her infant. Charlotte, ready for her close-up, makes eye contact with the camera. In a second, the family of four poses, with Prince William holding Prince George (who is playing with his hair), while Middleton holds Charlotte. A third shot, black and white, features Prince William holding Prince George, and the last is of the entire family, both royals and Middletons.

Photo by Mario Testino/Art Partner

It’s not the first time Testino has snapped the royals. Aside from being Princess Diana’s favorite photographer (having shot her infamous Vanity Fair spread before her death at age 36), he took Will and Kate’s official engagement photos in 2011, along with previous shots of Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Harry.

During Charlotte’s christening ceremony, the princess was blessed with a total of five godparents. “There’s no set rule for how many godparents a royal child is given, although it’s certainly more than the average person,” CNN royal expert Victoria Arbiter, previously told Yahoo Parenting. “William and Harry each have six godparents and George has seven.”

STORY: Kate Middleton Gives Princess Charlotte a Royal Ride to Christening

However, in the case of the royals, godparents won’t serve as potential legal guardians — according to Arbiter, the titles are merely symbolic for those who will provide guidance and friendship to Charlotte. And as for reports that Kate sister Pippa and William’s brother Harry were overlooked for the role, Arbiter says, “As aunt and uncle, they already have a close and meaningful relationship with the Cambridge children so there is no need for them to serve as godparents.” What’s more, she adds, in the U.K., siblings aren’t usually asked to be godparents.

Photo by Mario Testino/Art Partner

Here are Charlotte’s five godparents:  

Laura Fellowes: She’s William’s first cousin (the daughter of Diana’s sister, Lady Jane Fellowes). You also may recognize her as the little girl photographed with a mischievous William at the Duke of York’s 1986 wedding. The young prince was sitting next to Laura when he was caught sticking out his tongue and yawning during the nuptials.

Tom van Straubenzee: One of William’s best friends, he and fellow godparent James Meade were ushers at Will and Kate’s 2011 wedding. Fun fact: van Straubenzee’s wife is a castle heiress and one of their family homes was featured in a Harry Potter film.

Sophie Carter: She’s Kate’s loyal bestie and frequent tennis partner and she once dated van Straubenzee.

James Meade: Nicknamed “Badger,” Meade is an old classmate of William and lives near Anmer Hall with his wife.

Adam Middleton: He’s Kate’s first cousin and as a loyal Middleton member, he attended the duchess’ 2013 birthday party at Cirque du Soleil and Pippa’s launch party for her 2012 book, Celebrate.

The adorable christening photos top off a week of royal celebrations. Hopefully we’ll see some cute summer candids. 

Check out these cute pics of Prince William as a son and as a dad

  Prince William pictured left as a little boy being carried by his dad Prince Charles and he’s pictured right carrying his own son, Prince George…in same ensemble! Adorable!