Kate Middleton makes personal plea about kids’ future in first since cancer treatment

The Princess of Wales has given her first speech in two years at a special event with business leaders aimed at driving further action and investment in the early years development of children

The Princess of Wales has told how “love is the first and most essential bond” in a child’s life, helping to boost their early years development. Today in the heart of the city of London, Kate hosted the Future Workforce Summit, convened by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.

The summit is seen an important milestone for the Princess’s work to inspire societal wide action to create a healthier, happier society transformed by our approach to early childhood. There she gave her first speech in two years – her first since completing her cancer treatment – and was also praised for “focusing minds” on shaping public discourse on the need to address the importance of nurturing children’s emotional wellbeing as early as possible.

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And mum-of- three Kate paid tribute to Britain’s army of carers, from parents, guardians and carers, who take part in the “invisible work of caring”, who every day contribute to “build a happier, healthier society”.

Kate told how her mission in creating the Early Childhood business task force in March 2023 is rooted in enduring “every child deserves respect and safety” in their earliest formative years.

Kate spoke of her mission “to build a happier, healthier society” through her work, bringing together experts and business leaders to recognise the importance of family life throughout the country.

She said: “My passion and the work of The Centre for Early Childhood, stems from one essential truth; that the love we feel in our earliest years fundamentally shapes who we become and how we thrive as adults.

“Love is the first and most essential bond. But it is also the invisible thread, woven with time, attention and tenderness, through consistent, nurturing relationships, which creates the grounded and meaningful environments around a child.

“It is this texture, the weave of love, which forms a child’s emotional world and becomes the foundation, the very fabric of resilience and belonging.

“The home should be the space where love, safety and rhythm enable a child to thrive. A loving home ultimately teaches us how to love and how to care, but every environment has the potential to shape our hearts.

“Every one of you interacts with your own environment; a home, a family, a business, a workforce, a community. These are the ecosystems that you yourselves help to weave. Imagine a world where each of these environments were built on valuing time and tenderness just as much as productivity and success.” The Princess directly addressed business leaders she is hoping to convince to join her landmark project.

To date, work their organisations have delivered as part of the Taskforce have reached more than half a million babies and young children.

Some of the UK’s biggest businesses have already taken action since becoming part of the Taskforce to champion Early Childhood and social and emotional development,

IKEA has partnered with local baby banks to ensure families have the essentials they need and launched a product range which raised money for the Baby Bank Alliance.

She said: “As business leaders you will face the daily challenge of finding the balance between profitability and having a positive impact. But the two are not, and should not be incompatible.

“At The Centre for Early Childhood, we believe that we must do all we can, to create the conditions for love to flourish. That is how we invest in our future.

“Every child deserves respect and safety, and everyone who cares deserve recognition and appreciation. Every act of care creates community because we are all essentially weavers of the same fabric.

“I believe in restoring the dignity to the quiet, often invisible work of caring, of loving well, as we look to build a happier, healthier society.”

The Princess also told those gathered at the Salesforce Tower in central London that her passion for the early years stemmed from the fact that the love felt in those first years of life “fundamentally shapes who we become and how we thrive as adults.”

Among those due to speak at the event was former England manager, Sir Gareth Southgate, as well as a host of early years experts including research psychologist Professor Marc Brackett, Prof Robert Waldinger from Harvard University and psychotherapist and author Philippa Perry.

Sir Gareth is a supporter of the foundation’s Heads Together campaign and has previously spoken of the need to generate open and honest conversation about mental health and wellbeing.

The inaugural Future Workforce Summit was organised by The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood which was founded by the Princess in March 2023 and aims to encourage business leaders to champion the social and emotional development of employees. The taskforce is a key plank of the Princess’s mission to transform attitudes towards early childhood.