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#Repost @avfcofficial—Congratulations Aston Villa on achieving promotion to the Premier League! Prince William joined former Villa player John Carew at Wembley today to watch the Championship playoff final #AVFC #UTV

200 years ago today Queen Victoria was born at Kensington Palace — now the home of Victoria’s great-great-great-great-grandson, The Duke of Cambridge. To mark the anniversary, we’re exploring the @RoyalCollectionTrust to take a look at significant moments at Kensington Palace in Victoria’s life. 1. Princess Victoria first met her future husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg Gotha, at Kensington Palace in 1836. This painting by Alexandre-Jean Dubois Drahonet from 1832 shows a young Victoria in Kensington Palace Gardens, with the Palace visible in the background on the right side of the painting. 2. On the death of her Uncle William IV in the early hours of 20 June 1837, Victoria became Queen at the age of just 18. This painting by Sir David Wilkie depicts the moment later that morning when Princess Victoria heard of her accession to the throne. She recorded the incident which took place at Kensington Palace in her journal; I was awoke at 6 o’clock by Mamma who told me that the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Conyngham were here and wished to see me. I got out of bed and went into my sitting room (only in my dressing gown) and alone, and saw them. Lord Conyngham (the Lord Chamberlain) then acquainted me that my poor Uncle, the King, was no more, and had expired at 12 minutes past 2 this morning and consequently that I am Queen. 3. On the day of her accession Queen Victoria held her first council in the Red Saloon at Kensington Palace, shown in this painting by Sir David Wilkie. Charles Greville, present at the council, later remarked that Victoria handled the occasion with ‘perfect calmness and self-possession’. Three weeks later, Victoria moved from Kensington Palace into Buckingham Palace. 4. Princess Louise, Victoria’s sixth child, designed this statue of her mother in 1893, which now sits outside Kensington Palace. This summer, a special new exhibition ‘Queen Victoria’s Palace’ will tell the story of how the young Queen transformed Buckingham Palace from a private house into a working royal residence. Visit @RoyalCollectionTrust to find out more. Images used courtesy of Royal Collection Trust.

? Congratulations to @Family_Action, winners of a #RHSChelsea Gold Medal, and ‘Best Artisan Garden’ at the Chelsea Flower Show! The Duke and Duchess visited the Family Monsters Garden on Monday, which celebrates 150 years of Family Action supporting families across the country. Swipe to watch an excerpt from Family Action’s #MyFamilyMonsters film, which urges families to talk about the challenges that many of them face, including debt, addiction, and mental health issues. In January this year, The Duchess of Cambridge visited Family Action’s Lewisham base to launch their new service ‘FamilyLine’, which uses a network of volunteers from across the country to support parents and carers. Any parent or carer from anywhere in England and Wales can use the service — search ‘FamilyLine’ to find out more.

Today The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. The Queen hosts Garden Parties as a way of recognising and rewarding public service. At today’s Garden Party The Duke and Duchess met Kerry Irving and his assistance dog Max. In 2006, Kerry’s car was hit by a truck, leaving him housebound with chronic neck and back pain. Kerry still suffers with the pain from his back injury, but he credits Max with helping him to get his life back on track. Kerry has since retrained as a locksmith and Max is always with him. Kerry and his wife Angela have held dog walks to give other people the chance to spend time with Max, and helped raise money for local rehoming centre, @EdenAnimalRescue.

The River Thames has defined London throughout its history. It is a place of work for many, and of great enjoyment for others. But we must not forget about the dangers the river poses. I was struck to learn that around 700 incidents take place along the Thames annually where people’s lives are at risk, either through accidents or as the result of suicide attempts. And each year, there are sadly more than 30 fatalities on the river. I have just been meeting with families who have lost loved ones on the river. Their stories are heart-breaking reminders of how important all your work is to keep the river safe. Every life lost and every life-changing accident is one too many. And that is why you are all gathered here today, to raise awareness of these dangers, and to work together to prevent them. Prevention includes practical measures to save lives. Providing and maintaining life-saving equipment along the river, and reducing opportunities to enter the Thames, is very very much needed. I saw some of that today on my journey here along the river. Prevention also includes the vital work done by so many front line staff. They help to keep the Thames safe, day in day out, in all sorts of weathers. I’m really pleased to have met some of these staff today, and to have heard about their dedication to prevent loss of life on the river. And of course prevention involves all Londoners. Everyday people, going about their commute or on their journey to the pub, have a hugely important role to play. Don’t be afraid to stop and intervene if you see someone who might be considering taking their own life. I am really pleased to be here today to help you launch #SaferThames, a hugely important piece of work to keep people safe and prevent drowning on the River Thames. The Drowning Prevention Strategy has been designed by the Port of London Authority, The Metropolitan Police, London Fire Brigade, RNLI, London Ambulance Service and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. These agencies all work along the Thames, from Teddington to the North Sea, and have united to create the campaign to help tackle the problem. Visit pla.co.uk to find out more. ?PA/Kensington Palace

How many marks out of ? for the #RHSChelsea Back to Nature Garden, Prince George?

? Today The Duchess of Cambridge welcomed Her Majesty The Queen to her #RHSChelsea Back to Nature Garden. The Duke and Duchess showed Her Majesty some of the features of @The_RHS Garden, and introduced her to some of the activities that those experiencing the Garden can enjoy, including Reed Boat making ⛵

Thank you everyone that joined The Duchess of Cambridge in her #RHSChelsea Back to Nature Garden this morning! Ahead of joining The Queen and Members of @TheRoyalFamily at the #ChelseaFlowerShow on Monday evening, The Duchess was joined by local schoolchildren for some outdoor activities, including reed boat baking and marshmallow toasting. The Duchess also took the opportunity to thank the incredible team of collaborators who have been involved in the project. The Duchess has designed @The_RHS Back to Nature Garden to inspire children, families and communities to get outside and enjoy the huge benefits that nature has on our physical and mental wellbeing.

90% of our adult brains are developed before the age of 5 and what a child experiences in those really early years directly affects how the brain develops. That’s why I think it’s so important, whether we’re parents or carers or family members, really engage in quality time with children and babies from a really young age. I really feel that nature and being interactive outdoors has huge benefits on our physical and mental wellbeing, particularly for young kiddies. The #RHSChelseaBack to Nature Garden is a natural, creative place for them to play. I really hope that this woodland that we have created, in a huge collaboration here really inspires families, kids and communities to get outside, enjoy nature and the outdoors and spend quality time together. #ChelseaFlowerShow

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share some new photographs of their family as they visited the RHS Back to Nature Garden at the #ChelseaFlowerShow on Sunday afternoon. The photographs were taken by @mattporteous. The #RHSChelsea Back to Nature Garden, designed by The Duchess and award-winning landscape architects Andrée Davies and Adam White of Davies White Landscape Architects, is a woodland setting for families and communities to come together and connect with nature. Her Royal Highness is a strong advocate for the proven benefits the outdoors has on physical and mental health, and the positive impact that nature and the environment can have on childhood development in particular. Over the past months, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have helped The Duchess gather moss, leaves and twigs to help decorate @The_RHS Back to Nature Garden. Hazel sticks collected by the family were also used to make the garden’s den. The Duchess told Monty Don in an interview for the BBC: “I really feel that nature and being interactive outdoors has huge benefits on our physical and mental wellbeing, particularly for young children. I really hope that this woodland that we have created really inspires families, kids and communities to get outside, enjoy nature and the outdoors, and spend quality time together.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share some new photographs of their family as they visited the RHS Back to Nature Garden at the #ChelseaFlowerShow on Sunday afternoon. The photographs were taken by @mattporteous. The #RHSChelsea Back to Nature Garden, designed by The Duchess and award-winning landscape architects Andrée Davies and Adam White of Davies White Landscape Architects, is a woodland setting for families and communities to come together and connect with nature. Her Royal Highness is a strong advocate for the proven benefits the outdoors has on physical and mental health, and the positive impact that nature and the environment can have on childhood development in particular. Over the past months, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have helped The Duchess gather moss, leaves and twigs to help decorate @The_RHS Back to Nature Garden. Hazel sticks collected by the family were also used to make the garden’s den. The Duchess told Monty Don in an interview for the BBC: “I really feel that nature and being interactive outdoors has huge benefits on our physical and mental wellbeing, particularly for young children. I really hope that this woodland that we have created really inspires families, kids and communities to get outside, enjoy nature and the outdoors, and spend quality time together.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share some new photographs of their family as they visited the RHS Back to Nature Garden at the #ChelseaFlowerShow on Sunday afternoon. The photographs were taken by @mattporteous. The #RHSChelsea Back to Nature Garden, designed by The Duchess and award-winning landscape architects Andrée Davies and Adam White of Davies White Landscape Architects, is a woodland setting for families and communities to come together and connect with nature. Her Royal Highness is a strong advocate for the proven benefits the outdoors has on physical and mental health, and the positive impact that nature and the environment can have on childhood development in particular. Over the past months, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have helped The Duchess gather moss, leaves and twigs to help decorate @The_RHS Back to Nature Garden. Hazel sticks collected by the family were also used to make the garden’s den. The Duchess told Monty Don in an interview for the BBC: “I really feel that nature and being interactive outdoors has huge benefits on our physical and mental wellbeing, particularly for young children. I really hope that this woodland that we have created really inspires families, kids and communities to get outside, enjoy nature and the outdoors, and spend quality time together.”

? We invite you to take a sneak peek at The Duchess of Cambridge’s #RHSChelsea ‘Back to Nature’ Garden! The woodland wilderness garden aims to get people back to nature, and highlight the benefits of the natural world on our mental and physical wellbeing. Speaking ahead of @The_RHSgarden unveiling, The Duchess of Cambridge said: “In recent years I have focussed much of my work on the early years, and how instrumental they are for outcomes later in life. I believe that spending time outdoors when we are young can play a role in laying the foundations for children to become happy, healthy adults.” Some features of the #ChelseaFlowerShow garden include: 1. A swing seat hanging below the garden’s centrepiece, a high platform tree house, encouraging creative play and discovery for all generations. 2. The high platform tree house is inspired by a bird or animal nest and provides a wonderful place to retreat and look out through the trees. The treehouse is made from chestnut, with hazel, stag horn oak and larch nest cladding. 3/4. The garden is aiming to inspire interaction with the natural environment through its multi-sensory, green and blue plant scheme. The garden will be filled with incredible edibles, plants for craft activities, forest scents and a diverse range of plants, shrubs and trees of different heights and textures. The garden forms part of Her Royal Highness’s ongoing work on early childhood development and her mission to support efforts that give every child the best possible start in life. The Duchess has committed to making early childhood development the focus of her work in the years to come, and believes that providing children with the opportunity to spend time outdoors can play an important role.

When you are bereaved at a young age, you feel pain like no other pain — and you know that in your life it’s going to be very difficult to come across something that is going to be an even worse pain than that. Watch The Duke of Cambridge join @England Manager Gareth Southgate and footballers Peter Crouch, Thierry Henry, Danny Rose and Jermaine Jenas to tackle the importance of talking about men’s mental health on #ARoyalTeamTalk, presented by Dan Walker on @BBCOne at 22.30 on Sunday 19 May.

Just like physical health we all have mental health. Every one of us will face setbacks in our lives. And every one of us will face challenges with our mental health as a result. The consequences of this silence – confusion, stigma, and even shame – have reached a crisis point in the UK. At its worst, it has led to appalling rates of suicide in this country – the leading cause of death for men under 45. As President of the FA, I saw an opportunity to bring the sport I love – that many men talk about more than anything else in their lives – to help lead the next phase of the conversation. Over the last two years, we’ve been working behind the scenes to decide the best way to harness the power of football to really change the way men think about mental health. Heads Up will show men that we all have mental health just like we have physical health. Heads Up, a collaboration between the FA (@England) and @Heads_Together will harness the influence and popularity of football to help show the world that mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness, and will build on the decades of work to tackle the stigma and drive the conversation on mental health. Swipe to watch the Heads Up launch film, and visit the link in our bio to find out more.

Today The Duchess of Cambridge visited @bletchleyparkuk, the home of British codebreaking — which played a major role in secret intelligence gathering during the Second World War, producing secret information which had a direct and profound influence on the outcome of the war. The Duchess joined joined schoolchildren for an immersive workshop (using a real Enigma Machine used during the Second World War), which saw them take on the role of codebreakers in June 1944, intercepting and deciphering German communications in order to understand their order of battle and decide whether the Operation Fortitude deception plans have been successful. She also met Bletchley Veterans Elizabeth Diacon, Georgina Rose, Audrey Mather and Rena Stewart, who all worked to feed crucial information to Allied forces in the critical months, weeks and days leading up to D-Day during #WW2. The Duchess’s own Grandmother and Great Aunt, Valerie and Mary Glassborow, both worked at Bletchley during the War — and have become the latest additions to Bletchley’s Codebreakers’ Wall of Honour. Bletchley’s new exhibition ‘D-Day: Interception, Intelligence, Invasion’, based on newly declassified material, shows how the intelligence effort coordinated at the site helped specifically in the success of the D-Day landings at Normandy, part of their work to bring together the past and the present, with a nod to the future.

“We must start to see the people behind these evil crimes behind bars.” — today The Duke of Cambridge attended a joint meeting of the @UnitedforWildlife taskforces for the financial and transport sector — the first time the two groups have come together to to explore what more its 120 members can do together to #EndWildlifeCrime. Since the formation of the Taskforces, they have supported 52 law investigations, contributed to 10 trafficker arrests and assisted in over $500,000 USD of seizures. Speaking at today’s meeting, The Duke of Cambridge said: “When we embarked on this work, bringing the private sector together with law enforcement, governments and NGOs, our collective ambition was to build something that would significantly disrupt the illegal wildlife trade. Three years ago, we started with just 12 members from the transport sector. Today there are more than 150 members across the transport and finance sectors; a transportation taskforce that spans the globe; and a financial taskforce that has quickly followed suit. Together, taskforce members have trained over fifty-five-thousand industry employees. And you have raised awareness of wildlife crime by painting our message on planes and helping campaigns around the world. It has taken a lot of hard work – and real commitment – to get to the point where you are all sitting here together today. And we should all feel proud that we’re starting to see an impact. But it’s just that. The start.” Led by The Duke of Cambridge and The Royal Foundation, United for Wildlife is working to protect endangered species like elephants, rhinos, tigers and pangolins so they can share our world with future generations — visit @UnitedforWildlife to see more on their work to #EndWildlifeCrime.

? One week to go until #RHSChelsea – when The Duchess of Cambridge’s ‘Back to Nature’ Garden will officially be revealed! Over the past few months, The Duchess and landscape architects Davies White have visited plant nurseries, suppliers and specialist craftspeople who have been growing and building elements of the garden ready for Chelsea. The Duchess has worked with @the_rhs and Davies White to design and build the garden, to highlight how being active in nature can positively impact our physical and mental health. The garden has a natural woodland feel and contains lots of unique design features to inspire families to get outside and explore nature together. Visit the link in our bio to find out more.

Take a moment today to listen to @Heads_Together’s#MentalHealthMinute, as The Duke of Cambridge joins @katyperry, @stephenfryactually, @jameelajamilofficial and @aleshaofficial to talk about the value of listening and the positive role it can play on our mental health. Today’s minute-long message was broadcast simultaneously across hundreds of UK radio stations at 10.59am on Monday 13th May, emphasising the importance of talking about mental health, how listening cannot be underestimated and how each and every one of us has the power to make a difference. Visit @Heads_Together to find out more about the #MentalHealthMinute, at the start of #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek.

“We’ve got to be able to relax a little bit and talk about our emotions — we’re not all robots.” — The Duke of Cambridge joined @England Manager Gareth Southgate and a team of footballing royalty to kick off an important discussion on men’s mental health. Swipe to watch a preview of #ARoyalTeamTalk, which airs on @BBCOne at 22.30 on Sunday 19 May. Hosted by Dan Walker, The Duke and Gareth were joined by footballers Peter Crouch, Thierry Henry, Danny Rose and Jermaine Jenas for a truly revealing discussion on issues from depression and racism to career-ending injury and emotional pressures – all to try to make a difference to the way men talk about mental health.