She's warm, welcoming, comforting and assuring.

And this picture shows she also has a keen sense of humour.

The description of the Duchess of Cambridge was by a Walmer parish councillor when the two women met.

It was at the opening of a new school for excluded children in London on Wednesday.

Both Kate Middleton and Amy Herring were speakers at the opening of the Pears Family School.

This is part of the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families' new north London headquarters.

Cllr Herring, 22, told the Mercury: "She was very warm, welcoming, comforting and assuring.

"She understood what children, young people and their families can go through, the difficulties and challenges they face.

"She gets how young people's families are affected by mental health. She is incredibly passionate about the issue."

This school is part of the Anna Freud Centre of Excellence, of which the Duchess is a patron.

It specialises in children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, which can cause them to misbehave in class.

Trauma and tragedy can lead to poor behaviour. It was reported that the Duchess had met a 13-year-old boy whose went off the rails after his mother died suddenly.

Cllr Herring is one of the young champions of the centre.

She explained to the Mercury that she has suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and severe depression.

These stemmed from severe traumas in her past and she did not want to discuss those.

The vivid photograph shows the two women laughing during a lighter moment at the opening,

But Cllr Herring declined to reveal the joke the two shared.

The two laughed together seconds after Cllr Herring finished her speech and sat down next to the Duchess.

Moments later the Duchess stood up to make her speech but said: "Thank you Amy, that's a difficult act to follow. Everyone can see your passion and enthusiasm."

Cllr Herring became one of the youngest councillors in Dover district when she was co-opted to Walmer Parish Council in May 2016.

She regained her seat in today's district and parish elections when her ward was uncontested.

The Duchess of Cambridge, 37, has particularly embraced the issue of mental health through her work with the charity Heads Together.

This is with her husband Prince William and brother-in-law Prince Harry.

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