Kate Middleton to Attend the Portrait Gala 2014!

       Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, will attend the Portrait Gala on February 11, 2014 at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Kate and her husband Prince William will view pen portraits and mystery potrait postcards designed by prominent artists. The gala seeks to raises funds that, according to the Palace, will be used to "support the Gallery's daily work of delivering inspirational exhibitions and displays, offering unique learning opportunities and undertaking world class research."

 

via: E! Online

       As the Duchess of Cambridge,  Kate Middleton cannot take any official political action: she may not vote, run for office or endorse candidates. She is not allowed to make political statements so as to avoid interfering with the Democratic process that exists in Great Britain. However, Kate Middleton sits in a public position, thus she is able to make highly influential statements through the organizations she chooses to support and the events she chooses to attend.
       Kate supports the charity: Place2Be . Kate is patron of the organization, which addresses mental health issues such as cyber bullying and self-harm.  Mental health is a particularly controversial issue currently because of the potential role mental illnesses may play in tragic shootings such as Sandy Hook (click here for more information on Sandy Hook). As a result of Sandy Hook, US Vice President Joe Biden pledged $100 million towards bettering US mental health services. 
      Kate is also a patron of the East Anglia's Children's Hospices, which supports children with life threatening illnesses and their families.  Kate is involved with the organization Action on Addiction, which supports research, prevention and treatment for addicts. Kate decided to be patron of this organization according to a palace rep who spoke to PEOPLE magazine because "addicition lay at the source of many of the social issues she was looking at."

Are you interested in the same social issues as Kate? What are your favorite organizations?

-Olivia O