Prince William and Kate Middleton Reveal Their Playful Side While Painting

The couple contributed a brushstroke to a piece inside Tuesday's event.

By Samantha Schnurr Oct 09, 2018 1:32 PMTags
Watch: Prince William Pokes Fun at Kate Middleton's Painting Skills

It was time for Kate Middleton and Prince William to channel their inner Monet. 

On Tuesday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stepped out together for the first Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit, where political figures, academics and policymakers from around the world joined together with the objective of discussing issues surrounding mental health. 

Along with Prince Harry, the royal couple have been heavily focused on mental health in recent years and launched their Heads Together campaign in 2016 as a platform to unite charities and tackle the stigmas attached to mental health. The event fittingly falls one day ahead of World Mental Health Day. 

Middleton arrived donning a lilac, long-sleeved A-line dress by Emilia Wickstead, one she sported last summer during the family's tour of Poland and Germany. This time around, the royal paired the design with nude pumps and a matching lilac top-handle buckle bag by Aspinal of London. 

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Kate Middleton's Recycled Looks
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Inside the event at County Hall in London, the two royals had a touch of fun contributing to artist Dairo Vargas' painting. Vargas handed over a brush to Kate and William, though both were a bit hesitant to partake. 

"That's pretty much ruined the picture," William teased his wife before poking fun at himself. "This is how you properly ruin a picture," the prince quipped, brush in hand.

"This is very brave of you," Middleton told the artist. However, both royals added a brushstroke to the piece, titled "Someone To Turn To," which was inspired by the summit. Vargas said he hoped to have other attendees also contribute to the painting to symbolize how everyone can lend a helping hand in tackling mental health issues. 

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During the event, the couple met with young people, who spoke about their experiences with mental health, and learned about mental health case studies in the United States and India. 

The two also got comfortable on a Friendship Bench, a Zimbabwean project where "community grandmothers," or people trained to help those struggling with mental health, support locals within their communities by listening on the benches. 

This won't be the royals' only public appearance this week. The couple and their two older children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, are expected to attend cousin Princess Eugenie's wedding to Jack Brooksbank on Friday at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. 

See you two then!