Now that's a royal aide! William to the rescue after dignitary slips and falls

The Duke of Cambridge comes to the aid of Jonathan Douglas-Hughes, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Essex when he took a tumble as he arrived at Stewards Academy in Harlow, Essex, where he and his wife the Duchess of Cambridge are promoting their Heads Together campaign, are finding out how young people are coping with life's pressures. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday September 16, 2016. See PA story ROYAL Cambridges. Photo credit should read: John Stillwell/PA Wire

William and others rushed to help Jonathan Douglas-Hughes, vice lord-lieutenant of Essex, when he appeared to slip on wet pavement.

The Duke and Duchess had just arrived at Stewards Academy in Harlow for a visit when the mishap happened.

Mr Douglas-Hughes, who was wearing his ceremonial uniform complete with sword, fell backwards as the Duke was introduced to local dignitaries.

A gasp went up from around 30 well-wishers as he landed on his back and he was helped to his feet by William and others.

Mr Douglas-Hughes turned to William and said “Sorry about that”, and the Duke replied “No, it’s all right”.

William, Kate and Prince Harry launched their campaign in May to encourage a positive national conversation about mental health problems.

They are also working with a number of organisations and charities in the field to help address the issues faced by members of society with psychological issues.

The Duke and Duchess are touring Stewards Academy in Harlow, Essex, one of the schools supported by children’s mental health charity Place2Be, a part of the Heads Together initiative.

During their visit the royal couple will join a lesson on “big change” run by a small number of students involved with the school’s mentor scheme, where older students support new pupils in their first year of school.

They will then take their seats in a school assembly to hear speeches and watch performances from students on the topic of coping with big changes. The Duke will also make a short speech.

Later William and Kate were due to be introduced to a small number of parents to discuss how adults and carers can encourage pupils to talk about big changes in their lives.

The Heads Together charity partners have put together 10 Tips for Talking, available on the organisation’s website, to help parents have conversations with their children about the big changes in their lives.