Kate Middleton and Prince William now share a huge honor alongside J.K. Rowling
Prince William is following in the footsteps of his grandmother Queen Elizabeth in more ways than one.
The future king and his wife Kate Middleton have received an award that has also been granted to the Queen, and they’re understandably humbled by it. The couple was interviewed on Thursday’s Blue Peter Christmas Special on CBBC in the U.K., and because of the charity work they’ve done surrounding children’s mental health, they were awarded the Gold Blue Peter Badge, Blue Peter’s highest accolade.
According to the BBC, the badge is only given to an extremely select number of people who are role models and public figures who inspire children across generations and show expertise in their fields. Other recipients include J.K. Rowling, David Beckham, Roald Dahl, and, of course, Queen Elizabeth.
What an honour! The Duke and Duchess are awarded a Gold Blue Peter Badge for their work in children's mental health. Thank you so much #BluePeter pic.twitter.com/CEDARbGKnM
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) December 12, 2017
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“Thank you so much, this is very special,” Middleton said upon receiving the badge with William. “It’s hugely special, thank you so much. Obviously mental health has been sort of a learning process for us too, and that’s really why we’re trying to get everyone talking about it, so it hasn’t got the stigma that it’s had for so long.”
“We’ve still got a long way to go, but we’re getting there,” added Prince William. “The momentum is changing, a shift is happening, which is really good, and we’ll hopefully crack a problem that should’ve been cracked a long time ago.”
What made the honor even more special was the fact that they now share it with Queen Elizabeth—as the organizers were quick to point out.
“Oh really?” Prince William said once he found out. “We’ll compare.”
“We’ve got a lot more work to do, I think,” concluded Middleton. “But thank you so much, it’s a real honor.”
