Queen Elizabeth gave Kate Middleton a new royal duty

After 65 years as the patron of Family Action, a London-based charity which provides support for families in need, Queen Elizabeth is passing on the royal duty to her granddaughter-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge.

To mark the announcement, Kate traveled to Peterley Manor Farm to spend time with children and families supported by the organisation, and to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season by taking part in Christmas-themed activities like making decorations and eco-friendly reindeer food.

She also accompanied the families to pick out Christmas trees for Family Action’s pre-school and then moved back inside to make hot chocolate while speaking with the charity’s staff.

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For the event, the Duchess wore a festive red coat over a green top. She paired the look with jeans and sturdy boots. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Today, The Duchess of Cambridge became Royal Patron of @Family_Action. Her Majesty The Queen @TheRoyalFamily has passed the patronage to The Duchess having held the role for over 65 years. The Duchess joined children and families supported by Family Action at a Christmas tree farm and helped them to make Christmas decorations, eco-friendly reindeer food, and post their letters to Father Christmas! Her Royal Highness also helped the children find Christmas trees for Family Action pre-schools, before heading back inside for some hot chocolate. Family Action was founded in 1869 to help families in difficulty by giving them practical help and support. The charity works directly with vulnerable or disadvantaged children and families, and provides services including perinatal mental health services, counselling and therapeutic support, and the mentoring of children, young people and adults. The new patronage aligns with The Duchess’s longstanding work on the early years, and the importance of supporting children and families during this seminal period of their lives.

A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Dec 4, 2019 at 9:35am PST

 

 

 

 

 

 

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🎅🏽🦌🌲 The Duchess of Cambridge joined children supported by @family_action as they picked Christmas trees at Peterley Manor Farm in Buckinghamshire. Her Majesty The Queen has passed the patronage to The Duchess having held the role for over 65 years. The charity was founded in 1869 to help families in difficulty by giving them practical help and support. Today, Her Royal Highness stepped into the ‘Elves Enchanted Forest’ to make Christmas decorations, prepare food for the reindeers and post letters to Father Christmas. Family Action continues to work directly with vulnerable or disadvantaged children and families through both local and national services. The charity’s services include perinatal mental health services, counselling and therapeutic support and the mentoring of children, young people and adults.

A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Dec 4, 2019 at 7:04am PST

While this morning marks Kate’s inaugural engagement as Family Actions official patron, this isn’t her first time working with the group. Back in January of this year, she helped launch the charity’s national support line, and in May, she stopped by the organisation’s garden at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Many of Kate’s other patronages centre on issues relating to motherhood, and family life, and children in need, making Family Action a natural fit for the Duchess given her charitable focus. Family Action provides a wide array of services for families ranging from childcare and counselling, to support for mental health issues, and grants for people in crisis. The organisation also runs the National School Breakfast Programme, which feeds 300,000 children every school day.

While Queen Elizabeth maintains a full schedule of events and duties even at the age of 93, she has started to shift some of her responsibilities to younger members of the royal family. Earlier this year, for example, she passed on two other patronages to the Duchess of Sussex.

Image: Getty 

Source: Good Housekeeping US 

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