The Duchess of Cambridge has praised mothers offering support to other parents during the pandemic, saying their efforts were so important for “emotional wellbeing”.

Kate was speaking to mothers and their “lockdown babies” in a London park on Tuesday.

During her visit to the Old English Garden at Battersea Park, she was told how peer groups struggled to meet up in person during the COVID-19 lockdown but kept up their work on Zoom and regular phone calls.

Kate met mothers Nalini Sadai and Jessie Brett who provide peer-to-peer mum support for the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) and both told her they used their own experiences when helping new mothers.

The duchess said: “It’s good being able to listen and being listened (to) while being off-guard.

“It is so important for your emotional wellbeing. With your experiences it’s so important that you’ve been through it.

“Without what you are providing, that form of relationship, you can feel so isolated. You should be very proud.”

Earlier, the duchess held a video call with eight organisations supporting families, from Leeds Dads to the NCT, to discuss their work helping parents with young children.

She told them: “A huge well done to all of you, I know there’s a big team of you out there in communities across the country.

“Both William and I hear about how vital these relationships are to families – they’re a real lifeline.

“So to you and your army of volunteers out there, a huge well done.

“I, like you, would love to see peer-to-peer support more embedded and celebrated in communities and society as a whole.”

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