Duchess of Cambridge on the loneliness new parents feel: 'Isolation can quickly become overriding and debilitating'

The Duchess of Cambridge has spoken of her understanding of the “overriding and debilitating” sense of isolation many parents experience when their children are young.

The mother-of-three made the comments as she wrote to a “steering group” of experts put together to advise the Duchess on what needs to be done to better support children and parents in the UK.

"I can understand that people are nervous about asking for help for fear of judgement, and how that sense of isolation can quickly become overriding and debilitating for any new parent,” the Duchess said.

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"Recognising that the task of parenting is substantial, I have realised the importance of working to make it easier for parents to request support.

"Your work has helped me see more clearly where there are gaps in this support for parents and families."

The heartfelt letter was revealed as the Duchess made an unannounced appearance at her ‘Back to Nature’ garden on Monday morning, ahead of the Chelsea Flower Show.

Kate, 37, showed some local schoolchildren around the space she co-designed with award-winning landscape architects Andrée Davies and Adam White.taken in Kate’s first Chelsea Flower Show garden,

In creating the “Back to Nature” garden, the Duchess is understood to have wanted to emphasise the importance of outdoor play on early years development.

"In recent years I have focused much of my work on the early years, and how instrumental they are for outcomes later in life,” Kate wrote.

"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."

"Through our work, you have reaffirmed my belief of just how timely it is to focus on what happens in the early years of life, and how pivotal a stage of life this is for a child's future."

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The steering group had also quizzed parents and carers on their thoughts about what could help them to support and equip their children for the future to make sure they grow up happy, healthy and "equipped to be able to take every opportunity that comes their way.”

But the Duchess recognises that there is still some work to achieving that goal.

"Regardless of location, demographic, or circumstance, all parents share the wish for their children to grow up happy, healthy, and equipped to be able to take every opportunity that comes their way,” she continued in the letter.

"It is heart-breaking to know that there is a long way to go to realising this wish.

"There are undoubtedly challenges in trying to bring about the transformation that will make positive change for generations to come, and help break the inter-generational cycle of disadvantage and trauma, yet I am inspired every day by the people I meet and am committed to supporting this endeavour.

"I hope my long-term commitment to working in the early years will help make a difference over a generational timescale."

It isn’t the first time the Duchess of Cambridge has spoken about the importance of the early years development.

Earlier this year she revealed she was “very naive” as a parent about the importance of that particular period for children’s future.

She made the remark during a round table discussion at the Mental Health in Education conference back in February.

“I was very naive myself as a parent, of really just how important particularly the early years are for children’s futures,” she said.

“And how critical it is, everyone looking after children at a critical time, teachers, parents, and everyone who’s caring for them, how important it is that we get it right.”