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UK students going back to school this week are getting a little help from Kate Middleton. Today the Duchess of Cambridge will lead an online assembly via the conferencing app Zoom.

The Duchess wore a printed dress from high street retailer Marks & Spencer for the prerecorded address.

British nonessential retailers also opened for business again this week following three months of lockdown so this show of support felt appropriate.

The Printed Yoke Midi Waisted Dress is still available available online and retails for a very reasonable $49.52. Its charming cabbage print motif is inspired by English country gardens. It comes with frilled, slightly puffed sleeves and an elasticated waist, both of which add structure to its breezy silhouette. The dress has a midi length with a round neck and short sleeves.

To Buy: Printed Yoke Midi Waisted Dress $49.52.

Middleton has been wearing British designers including Stella McCartney, Boden, Roksanda and Raey for practically all of her Zoom videos over the quarantine period. Last week she used the color of her dress to pay tribute to the U.K.’s health workers. 

The Duchess’ support comes at an important time for British retail. According to figures collected by Springboard which measures consumer traffic on behalf of retailers, England’s high streets saw an increase in footfall of 51.7% this week in comparison to last week. However, the year-on-year decline still stands at 41.2%.

Middleton joined children from the Waterloo Primary Academy in Blackpool. She spoke about the importance of mental wellbeing.

“Talking to someone, whether it’s a friend, family member, or teacher, is something you can do to make yourself feel that little bit better,” she said. She added “you can also play your part in helping others to feel better too, whether offering a friendly ear, or helping someone in need.”

“Small acts of kindness can go such a long way. But as we help others, we mustn’t forget to nurture ourselves, by taking the time to focus on the things that make us feel happy too.”

The children also shared photographs they had submitted to The Duchess’s Hold Still photography project on the theme of kindness.

The initiative, celebrates all the United Kingdom’s key workers who have put their lives on the line to keep everyone else safe alongside those who are living challenging lives in confinement amid public health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Powerful images submitted to date include those of exhausted nurses catching moments of rest in the blue work attire worn by employees of the National Health Service alongside moving shots of elderly and people working from home.

During another Zoom message posted last week on the Kensington Royal Instagram account, the Duchess observed that she has seen “so many amazing entries” to the competition. “From families up and down the country showing how they are adapting to life during the lockdown, through to some of the most amazing NHS and social care staff who are putting their lives on the line to save the lives of others.”

The deadline for entries is today, June 18.

Click through the gallery for more of Kate Middleton’s best looks over the years.

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