Kate on mental health: I was lucky but many children are not

The Duchess of Cambridge has called for more to be done to tackle mental health issues in children which could follow them into later life.

In a rare speech, Kate told a headteacher's conference in London she knew that she was "lucky" to have had a "wonderful and secure childhood".

"I always knew I was loved, valued and listened to. But, of course, many children aren't so lucky," she said.

"Since beginning my work in areas like addiction, I have seen time and time again that the roots of poor mental health in adulthood are almost always present in unresolved childhood challenges."

She told the audience she often gets asked why asked why she decided to spend time highlighting the mental health issues of children.

"I imagine my answer might be similar to many of yours.

"I'm sure you will agree that all children deserve time, attention and love from the adults in their lives.

"Imagine if everyone was able to help just one child who need to be listened to, needs to be respected and needs to be loved. We could make such a huge difference for an entire generation."

The Duchess, wearing a grey dress, was speaking at the Place2Be headteacher conference in London.

The talk was targeted at school leaders who share a commitment to early intervention in children's mental health to give them the best chance of achieving their potential.

Students from Stewards Academy in Harlow also spoke about their thoughts on young people's wellbeing.