The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have shown their support for an innovative Scottish festival which is challenging preconceived ideas about mental health during a visit to Dundee.
William and Kate, along with Prince Harry, are making the emotional and psychological wellbeing of young people a key focus of their official and charitable work.
The Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival – an annual event held in October – stages everything from music, film and visual art to theatre, dance, and literature events.
The Cambridges met the staff and crew behind a moving and thought-provoking piece, In Her Shadows, a visual performance that explores a young woman’s relationship with her depression – and highlights the stigmas surrounding the illness.
The royal couple arrived at the Dundee Rep theatre where the performance will be staged tonight looking relaxed and Kate was appropriately dressed for a day in Scotland.
She looked elegant in an outfit by Scottish designer Christopher Kane which included a kilt.
The royal couple, who are the Earl and Countess of Strathearn in Scotland, are making their first visit to Dundee, a key centre of the UK’s video gaming industry which is undergoing a major transformation headed by a £1 billion waterfront regeneration project.
Crowds had gathering outside the theatre in anticipation of the royal visit and the couple went on a brief walkabout, saying hello and shaking hands.
William and Kate spent the night in the nearby Scottish university town of St Andrews, where they met as students. They booked in to the Old Course Hotel, overlooking the world’s most famous golf course, and are likely to have reminisced about their time as boyfriend and girlfriend.
The Cambridges are carrying out a full day of engagements in the city that will see them visit a centre providing drop-in and other services for teenagers, join an anti-bullying workshop and meet a group of leaders in the Scottish mental health sector.
Dundee’s past and future achievements will also be celebrated when they tour explorer Captain Scott’s ship, built in the city for his 1901
Antarctic expedition, and recognise winners of a UK-wide Bafta game design competition for children and teenagers.
The couple also heard about the dangers of legal highs, with William saying he has helped rescue the victims of legal highs in his role as an air ambulance pilot.
Speaking with members of the Body Matters team, the Prince said: “I don’t know why there are legal highs.
“We have been called out when people are having fits or cardiac arrests after taking them.”
Addiction youth worker Alain Saum said she now does outreach work at all nine of the city’s high schools because the problem is so widespread.
“It is a big concern in Dundee. People who wouldn’t normally do drugs take them because of the word legal,” she said.
“And a small packet might contain 50 doses but people take it all at once.”
Sexual health nurse Jackie Fitzpatrick said the problem is even more dangerous because the long-term effects of the drugs are not yet known.
She said: “With cocaine or heroin we know what the psychological effects will be.”
Youth worker Barry Jordan also told the couple there is increasing demand for support services for transgender people in Dundee.
The couple later visited explorer Captain Scott’s ship RRS (Royal Research Ship) Discovery, which was built in Dundee and carried him – and a young Ernest Shackleton – on their first expedition to Antarctica in 1901.
They were greeted by primary five pupils from Dunblane Primary School who were on a school trip at the attraction.
Kate was presented with a posey, before the royal couple made their way onboard.
They chatted with young sea scouts before taking the helm and enjoying views across the quay.
Dundee’s waterfront is currently undergoing a £1 billion regeneration.
As William remarked on being “excited” to see the finished development, he leaned over the side of the ship, and jokingly called to the builders: “Get back to work you lot.”
They departed to cheers from the crowd, as the school pupils waved flags.
Dunblane Primary teacher Claire Marshall said: “It was such a happy coincidence that we were on the school visit today.
“The children were thrilled to see William and Kate.”
