Kate Middleton to turn journalist for the day as guest editor of The Huffington Post

Kate Middleton is to take a break from royal duties and motherhood to try her hand as a hard-nosed journalist to raise awareness of children's mental-health issues. The Duchess of Cambridge will guest-edit The Huffington Post news website for a day next month, focusing on articles related to childhood mental illness AP reports. She will commission articles from experts, parents and children to raise awareness of mental health issues affecting young people.

The royal is said to be 'delighted' at the opportunity to highlight an issue that she's chosen to make one of the major focuses of her charitable endeavors. Confirming the news Kensington Palace said: "The Duchess will use the opportunity to highlight the inspiring work being done by parents, teachers, researchers and mental health professionals around the country.

"The Duchess of Cambridge has made the mental health of young children a key focus of her work in recent years. She is delighted that The Huffington Post will help put a spotlight on this important issue."

The 34-year-old is patron of several children's charities and has been committed to representing the issues affecting children and young people suffering with mental health issues.

In her role as patron of Place2Be, last year she recorded a video address for the charity, which provides emotional help and support to 90,000 children in 230 primary and secondary schools in England, Scotland and Wales . In the message, filmed to coincide with the first Children's Mental Health Week, she revealed that she and her husband the Duke of Cambridge were concerned by how many children struggle to cope with bullying, bereavement, family breakdown and other issues, which can lead to depression, anxiety, addiction and self-harm.

"Both William and I sincerely believe that early action can prevent problems in childhood from turning into larger ones later in life,"' she said. At the Place2Be Headteacher Conference in November 2015, in an emotive speech she spoke candidly of her "happy, stable upbringing," but added that she recognised that many children were not so fortunate.

The royal couple also met with many of the children who have received support for Place2Be as they visited the Towers Residential Centre in Wales for a day of outdoor activities. Rounding off their year of royal duties, in December Kate and William attended the 23rd ICAP charity day, joining stocking wearing stock brokers on the trading floor to raise money for charity.

In November, the Duchess of Cambridge hosted a reception and awards ceremony at Kensington Palace on behalf of the mental health charity. The 32-year-old was joined at the Kensington Palace State Apartments by visitors for their first ever Wellbeing in Schools Awards.

While certain quarters of the media are often regarded as the bane of the royals, the Princess is to open the doors of the palace to welcome journalists from the HuffPost UK in mid-February as she discovers what it's like to be in the editor's chair.

Huffington Post UK Editor Stephen Hull said staff were thrilled to welcome the Duchess.