Duchess of Cambridge welcomed by school pupils

THE Duchess of Cambridge was today greeted by a wave of St George’s Day flags from cheering schoolchildren as she arrived to launch a counselling programme.

She was greeted by pupils. Picture: PA

Kate visited The Willows Primary School in Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, to launch a project to reduce the impact of drug and alcohol addiction on children and their families.

After meeting a line-up of dignitaries outside the school, she was presented with a hamper of special treats for her dog Lupo.

It was a gift from “school dog” Henry, headteacher Anne Whitehead’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Pupil Dominic Hehir, 10, presented the hamper while Chloe Pomfret, 10, handed over a posy of red roses.

Bathed in sunshine and wearing an Erdem floral dress, a beaming Kate drew a rapturous response from the children.

Kate picked out eight-year-old Kara O’Shea from the crowd for a brief conversation.

Kara said: “She asked my name and how happy I was. I felt happy.”

The school counselling initiative is a partnership between charities Place2Be and Action on Addiction with funding from Comic Relief and the Royal Foundation whose patrons are the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

Kate met staff and volunteers from youth mental health services charity Place2Be, and children who have benefited from its work.

Action on Addiction will train, supervise and support Place2Be counsellors to deliver the programme in school settings across England.

Research suggests that more than a million children in the UK are living in homes where parental drug and alcohol use has a detrimental impact on their wellbeing and education.