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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hosted a charming joint-video conference from Kensington Palace this week. The royal pair spoke with beneficiaries of Future Men’s Fatherhood Program, which help fathers develop their confidence as parents at every stage of their child’s development. While on the call, Prince William and Kate Middleton led the conversation on what it means to be a dad and even met some adorable babies.
The parents-of-three ogled over Liam Mackenzie, who was born prematurely in March. Dad Graeme introduced the royals to his bundle of joy with a sweet anecdote. “His hobbies are drooling… and he’s quite a vocal little chap,” he said. “Hi Liam!” exclaimed Kate, waving. “Is this his first Zoom call?” When they were told it was, the couple laughed as the tiny boy stared blankly at them.
William and Kate were also introduced to baby Elliot, who was born in June. His father Peter Sen explained that lockdown allowed him to see “every part of his development.” On the flip side, they also missed interacting with other families. “It must be so hard having a newborn over lockdown,” Kate sympathized.
Fellow dads Darren Smith and Sarit Chaturvedi joined Graeme, Peter and the royals on the call. They all took part in Future Men’s Fathers Program . “During lockdown they have kept in touch via virtual one to one drop-in sessions, sharing tips on how to deal with pressure, speak openly about their feelings, and continue to provide the best care for their children during challenging times,” according to Kensington Palace.
William, who visited the charity last year, said at one point: “I worry an awful lot that there are lots of dads out there who don’t know what to do and don’t know where to go and they may not have such good grounding or foundations or support around them to be able to know what to do.” Future Men supports around 500 fathers – and their partners – each year.