Kate Middleton
The Duchess met children who have been supported by the charity Place2B. AFP / Getty Images

The Duchess of Cambridge has hosted a reception and awards ceremony at Kensington Palace on behalf of a mental health charity.

It's the latest in a series of public engagements for Kate, who is four months pregnant with her second child. Wearing a spotted black top by High Street store Hobbs and a skirt by designer Jenny Packham, the slender princess showed the barest trace of a baby bump.

The 32-year-old was joined at the Kensington Palace State Apartments by visitors representing her children's mental health charity Place2Be, for their first ever Wellbeing in Schools Awards. The charity supports 90,000 children in 230 primary and secondary schools in England, Scotland and Wales.

The Duchess, who has been Patron of Place2Be since 2013, met with 20 awards finalists, including 11-year-old Bailey Dunne from Highfield Community Primary School in Sunderland.

Described as being a quiet boy before receiving support from Place2B he now speaks in assemblies and mentors other children in the school and was named the Pupil of the Year.

His nominator said: "Bailey has taught his peers that it is okay to be individual and that you don't always need to follow the crowd to be successful and popular."

The Duchess also spent time talking with Bailey's Head Teacher Simon Marshall, who has been working to integrate Place2Be into schools for the past 14 years.

Place2Be Chief Executive Benita Refson praised Kate for supporting the charity. This is a wonderful, exciting opportunity to honour our young people and schools in such a wonderful setting. The Duchess' total and utter belief in what we do and her commitment to children's mental health is incredible," she said.

Kate and William moved into the central London Kensington Palace a year ago, spending £4.5 million of taxpayer's money on renovations.

Kate, is the patron of several charities working to improve the lives of children. A patron for SportsAid, last week she visited a training centre for young Olympic hopefuls.

Related
Kate Middleton Prince William