Kate Middleton during her visit to a Children’s center in Cardiff makes an emotional statement on being “isolated” after the birth of her first born to first time moms.
She said:
“It’s nice to be back in Wales! I was chatting to some of the mums earlier, It was the first year and I’d just had Goerge – William was still working with Search and Rescue and we came up hereand I had a tiny tiny baby in the middle of Anglesey it was so isolated, so cut off. I didn’t have any family around and he was doing night shifts. If only I had had a centre like this,” she told staff at the Ely and Caerau Children’s Centre. Earlier, as she arrived at the centre in Ely, an economically deprived area of the city, she told her hosts: “I will have to remember my Welsh!” She also mentioned her children, adding: “We will be taking a trip down to Anglesey at some point.”
The Duchess spent time with children in the baby sensory room, she smiled at 11-month-old Eleanor Logue, who was happily covering herself in cooked spaghetti as mum Rhi, 29, talked about how she felt supported by other parents there.
“You can come here and tell people, ‘I haven’t slept’,” said Rhi. “And everyone else is like, ‘I haven’t either!'” laughed Kate. “It normalises it. No one is going to judge you for it. And it’s a social thing for you. So many families now are so spread out, It’s much harder to rely on other generations for support.”
In response Rhi said:
“We talked about post-natal depression and how hard it is to have a kid and how important centres like this are. I would have been in such a dark place without it. It’s lovely to see her in a place like Ely. It’s such a deprived area and there have been so many funding cuts. Sometimes you are scared to walk the streets, but coming here you feel safe. You don’t feel like you are going to get mugged.”
The Duchess moved on to another room, and spent time with 14-month-old Indie Corten-Maynard and one of her two mums Estelle Corten.
“Are you going to push me over?” laughed the Duchess as the toddler pushed a large spiky inflated ball into her. “She was asking me what it was like coming here as a same-sex couple and I told her how welcoming the centre has been,” said Estelle. “It was amazing to have the future Queen here in Ely!”
She also spent time to older children and joined them make dough balls. One little girl asked what was going on and the Duchess told her:
“We are talking about your nursery! It’s so cool I would love to come here. What’s your favourite thing about it? Do you like playing outside?” She then took the little girl by the hand and asked her to show her the outdoor area, stopping to meet the resident guinea pigs Willow and Bella in a wooden hut, appropriately bearing the sign “Cath’s Cottage”.
She crouched down to stroke the black-and-white pet, Willow, telling the children:
“I had guinea pigs when I was little. I think your nursery is the best. She’s so soft, isn’t she?” Watching as the children fed them carrots and sprouts, she joked: “I did not know that guinea pigs liked Brussels Sprouts!”
The Duchess received flowers and a drawing of herself from the children. She was welcomed and had striking conversation with them.
Photos: ⒸGetty Images
