The Princess of Wales delivered a passionate and sincere speech that revealed her priorities and explained why she hopes to make significant changes for the better.
She made a stunning return to the red carpet for one of the biggest royal events of the year in what was a gloomy week for the Princess of Wales. She issued a rallying call to some of the country’s most powerful business leaders ahead of her glamorous night out with Prince William at the Royal Variety Performance to support, encourage, and enable employees to lead healthy lives at home, especially those with young children.
The princess was speaking at the Future Workforce Summit, hosted by her Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, and it was her first major public speech since her cancer diagnosis. Kate, 43, passionately discussed “valuing time and tenderness just as much as productivity and success” at the Salesforce Tower event in London, and how profitability and “having a positive impact” on employees’ lives were not and should not be “incompatible.”
READ MORE: Coffee chain with 70 sites to axe ‘UK’s best free coffee’ subscription service
“Every one of you interacts with your own environment; a home, a family, a business, a workforce, a community,” she said. “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.”
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond exclusively tells the Mirror that Kate’s words were particularly impactful and came from a deeply personal place. “I admire Catherine for practising what she preaches,” Jennie says. “I’m sure she fully understands the pressures that exist for many working parents, and means every word she says.
She has encouraged William to be a full-fledged father and is “a hands-on mum as much as she can be.” They have taken a lot of flak for using school holidays as family time, and they are obviously both incredibly fortunate to have some choice in this regard. But Catherine believes passionately that these early years in her children’s lives are by far the most important and formative.
She also spoke as a mother after her diagnosis, which added the pressure of managing her health. She is incredibly grateful for having the opportunity to prioritize her health and family, and there’s no denying that. Now she appears to be using her platform to highlight the good that she knows can come from that privilege, for the benefit of other parents and society as a whole. She holds incredibly dear to her heart about this cause.
The day after the summit, Kate enjoyed a night of glamour, show-stopping performances and the appearance of a very special little bear at the Royal Variety Performance. Following her and William’s absence last year, it was a welcome return to a more traditional royal diary.
The gleaming couple donned a coordinated velvet tuxedo while Kate wore a stunning floor-length velvet gown to the glittering Royal Albert Hall event. They appeared united and at ease as they watched the cast of Paddington The Musical take to the stage, along with pop star Jessie J and Grammy award-winning singer Laufey, to raise funds for the Royal Variety Charity.
Kate spoke with Price Tag singer Jessie J, 37, who had a mastectomy for breast cancer in June, later that evening, who added some extra sparkle with a pair of diamond earrings that Queen Elizabeth II received on her wedding day.
Jessie shared, “Mum to mum, who has just recently gone through cancer, I just wanted to give her a hug.” We acknowledged that it’s something that is not easy to go through, especially in the public eye”.
Olivia and Emelie Edwards, twins, 9, both of whom are nine years old, are also very special children. Their parents work at Brinsworth House, a care facility for entertainment workers supported by the Royal Variety Charity.
As she spoke to the girls about the Paddington performance, the princess revealed Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven, were “very sad” not to have been allowed to accompany their parents on their night out.
She said, “My kids were very sad, and we’re going to have to keep it a big secret that I saw you guys.” They regretted not joining us, they said.
Kate’s attendance at the two major events was a clear sign that she is feeling strong enough to handle a busier workload, Jennie tells us, but she will no doubt still want to be around as much as possible for her children.
Jennie says, “She’s determined to be there for her own children as much as possible, and she wants business leaders to take a look at the work-life balance they provide for their employees, and we should all be grateful for that.
We’ll continue to get the balance wrong unless someone stands up and yells that work can be exhausting, especially now that we are contactable 24/7. Additionally, Catherine’s opinion is not exclusive. Her Foundation is providing evidence that children who are brought up in a nurturing and loving environment, where parents give them those most valuable assets that are time and love, are more emotionally secure in later life. “
Queen Elizabeth II, who vowed to dedicate her life to the service of the Commonwealth, has echoed Kate’s desire to leave a positive legacy from her royal status. She has also made it abundantly clear that her children won’t waste valuable time with their mothers. In the video update she shared in September 2024 to announce the end of her chemotherapy treatment, she spoke of finding a” new perspective”.
This time, in particular, has reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for life’s simple yet crucial things, which so many of us frequently disregard. Of simply loving and being loved, “she said.
Next year has a number of momentous milestones in store for the family. Prince George will complete his final year of primary education at Lambrook School, leaving behind his younger sister and brother. The first-born will also enter his teenage years, when he turns 13 on 22 July, before heading off to secondary school.
The topic of where he will continue his education has been much discussed, with questions swirling about whether Kate and William will break tradition and send him to a co-ed secondary, rather than as a boarder to Eton College like his father and uncle, Prince Harry.
The decision, according to Jennie, has already been made, and their new Forest Lodge home, which they moved from Adelaide Cottage earlier this month, has already undergone some changes.
William spoke recently of some familiar parental dilemmas, revealing that he and Kate have yet to allow George to have a mobile phone. He also stated that his days were filled with “play dates, a cab driver, sports days, games, playing in the garden whenever I can,” further demonstrating how compatible his and Kate’s parenting values are with one another while speaking to a journalist in Brazil during his most recent Earthshot Prize trip.
Jennie adds”, It is certainly a big year ahead, and as George becomes a teenager, it is very clear the children are their priority, and Kate especially wants to spend as much time with them as possible after her illness, and it is wonderful to see.
“I would assume that his new school has already been chosen. Personally, I believe that if he is going to be sent away to board would be a great shame, and that would contradict some of Catherine’s fundamental beliefs. On the other hand, she went to boarding school and seemed to enjoy it, so I suppose she feels ready to cross that bridge with George.
Jennie continues, “It’s getting easier to get past those memories of her illness right now, but I believe it has completely altered her outlook on life.” As she reminds us constantly, love and kindness, time and tenderness, are vital anchors in the lives of the young and the old, and the family is a wonderful example of that. “
