The Duchess of Cambridge has delivered a bedtime story to young children in a reading for CBeebies.
Airing on Sunday 13 February, Kate Middleton chose to read the modern children’s classic, The Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark, by Jill Tomlinson, which she described as an “encouraging tale”.
The story, illustrated by Paul Howard, is about a baby barn owl named Plop who, with the help of others, learns to overcome his fear of the dark.
Prior to beginning the reading, Kate noted how she remembered the story from when she was a child.
“Hello, my name is Catherine and tonight we’re in my bedtime story den,” she began.
“I’ve chosen a story which I remember reading as a little girl, it’s called The Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark.”
As she read aloud, illustrations from the book appeared on the screen.
Once the reading was over, Kate reflected on its meaning: “Wow, what an encouraging tale,” she said.
“We can all feel scared sometimes just like our owl friend Plop, but as Mrs Barn Owl said, ‘It’s better to find out about the things that scare us before we make up our mind’.
“And with the help of others, we can often face things that worry us. Now it’s time for bed. Night night and sleep tight.”
Many fans reacted to Kate’s reading on social media, with adults claiming they tuned into the children’s TV channel just to see the duchess.
“Will I be tuning in to CBeebies to watch Kate Middleton read a bedtime story?” wrote one person alongside a meme of the words “absolutely”.
“Think I'm defeating the object of trying to stay up for the Superbowl tonight by watching Kate Middleton read the bedtime story on Cbeebies,” teased another.
The reading marks the start of Children’s Mental Health Week, the theme of which is Growing Together, and is encouraging children and adults to consider how they’ve grown and can help others to grow.
For the TV appearance, Kate is filmed sitting cross-legged on a blanket in what appears to be a dark wooded area. Surrounded by soft toys and a hot chocolate drink within reach, Kate is wearing a pair of jeans and a cream Fair Isle jumper.
Patricia Hidalgo, director of BBC Children’s and Education, said: “I couldn’t be more proud to have the duchess read a CBeebies Bedtime Story as we mark the 20th anniversary of our CBeebies and CBBC channels.
“It’s such a special and relevant tale and perfectly represents this years’ Children’s Mental Health week theme. I can’t wait to see her deliver her own take on such a classic story and I’m sure our audience can’t either.”
The Duchess of Cambridge reading The Owl Who Was Afraid of The Dark marks Children’s Mental Health Week.
The Duchess of Cambridge is the Royal Patron of Place2Be, a children’s mental health charity, and first launched Children’s Mental Health Week with them in 2015.
