Duchess Kate holds a reception at Buckingham Palace following Commonwealth Day event

On Monday, the royal family reunited for the Commonwealth Day celebration at Westminster Abbey in London. For the first time since announcing their departure as fulltime working members of the royal family, Harry and Meghan were back in the UK and with Harry’s family, including Prince Charles, Camila, Prince William and Kate. Following the church service, Kate hosted a large group of school children at Buckingham Palace in support of the mental health organization Place2B, but it appears as though the rest of the royals skipped the event.All eyes were on the royal reunion during Monday’s service, which proved that going to church on a Monday can actually be pretty dramatic. For the first time, the Sussexes and Cambridges were not part of the royal procession with the Queen and instead were seated before the ceremony began. This led to a highly scrutinized interaction between the brothers and sisters-in-law. Harry and Meghan, who are seated alongside Harry’s uncle, Prince Edward, and his wife Sophie, appear say hello to Prince William and Kate. A debate around whether Prince William and Kate returned their greeting or ignored the couple has been raging online since Monday’s service. It seems unlikely that even if William and Kate are upset with the Duke and Duchess that they wouldn’t extend even basic niceties at such a public event. Either way, it’s a marked departure from last year’s event when Kate broke protocol and gave Meghan a kiss on each cheek. Now it appears that cheek may be turning the other way. Or, it’s a weird angle. We’ve watched this video 13 times and still can’t tell!

The Duchess of Sussex waves to the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge as they arrive at the #CommonwealthDay Service pic.twitter.com/G5S4382d0w

— Royal Central (@RoyalCentral) March 9, 2020

Following the highly anticipated Commonwealth Day event, Kate hosted the 25^th anniversary of her patronage, Place2Be. Members of local school choirs, including Cranbrook School, New North Academy, and Salusbury Primary School, attended the event along with supporters of Place2Be, which provides mental health resources to children and educators in school. Kate spoke at the event and praised the organization, which she became involved with back in 2013.[video_embed id='1918143']RELATED: Harry and Meghan attend their last official duties as Royals[/video_embed]Speaking on the importance of children, parents and educators receiving the resources they need to be successful every day and not just in times of crisis, Kate said “You taught me the importance of creating safe and nurturing environments within schools, embracing a holistic view of emotional well-being which permeates through the whole school system. You also taught me that it’s the simplest things that make a difference to children. It’s the quality time that is spent with them. It’s the time you take to listen to them. It is trusting relationships that have the most profound impact on the emotional and mental well-being of a child.”Kate appeared to be the only member of the royal family present at the event, which was skipped by Harry, Meghan, and Kate’s husband, William. The Duchess looked relaxed and happy to be hosting Place2Be supporters and schoolchildren while wearing a blue Jenny Packham dress that she previously wore during a 2016 trip to India. Recycle, reduce, slay, as they say.

 

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? Happy 25th Birthday @_place2be — here’s to many more! The Duchess of Cambridge, Patron since 2013, hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the charity’s incredible work over the past 25 years. No child or young person should have to face mental health problems alone — and that has been the founding mission of Place2Be, whose teams across the UK have provided mental health services in schools. Speaking at this evening’s reception, The Duchess said: “Having visited many of your schools, meeting hundreds of your wonderful staff, children and young people, it is heart-warming to see that the support you provide is so much more than just being there in a time of desperate need”. #25yearsofplace2be

A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Mar 9, 2020 at 4:54pm PDT

Place2Be combines two causes close to the Duchess of Cambridge’s heart, including mental health and advocating for children. Kate recently helped launch 5 Big Questions, a survey targeted towards parents, healthcare professionals and educators in the UK. The survey, a first of its kind, is aimed at understanding how public resources in the UK can do more to provide the assistance needed to help care for children in their early years.[video_embed id='1918032']RELATED: Questions remain over the handling of Harry and Meghan[/video_embed]