Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge believes raising a child should be a collaborative effort.

The Duchess of Cambridge

The Duchess of Cambridge

The 35-year-old royal - who has Prince George, four, and Princess Charlotte, two, with Prince William - is expecting her third child in April 2018 and speaking at the opening of the annual School Leaders Forum in London, Duchess explained that the responsibility for raising a child extends far beyond the baby's parents.

She said: "As a mother, just getting used to leaving my own child at the school gates, it is clear to me that it takes a whole community to help raise a child. Whether we are school leavers, teachers, support staff or parents we are all in this together."

During the event - which was run by Place2Be, the leading national children's mental health charity - the Duchess also stressed the need to pay closer attention to the mental wellbeing of young children.

However, the British royal also insisted she's positive about the steps that have been taken and the progress that has been made on the issue over recent years.

The Duchess - who was known as Kate Middleton prior to marrying Prince William - shared: "Collaborating with experts like yourselves, we're looking at providing easy access to information and practical tools to support teachers, parents and children feel comfortable talking about their mental health. We are all here today because we share the belief that every child deserves the chance to fulfil their potential.

"When I came to this conference two years ago, I left with a real sense of energy and passion about what we could all achieve together."