The Princess of Wales made the announcement of her life’s work with her Shaping Us campaign exactly three years ago because she wanted to support the youngest members of society.
It has long been described as her life’s work – and when it comes to highlighting just how important early childhood can be, the Princess of Wales is set to mark a special anniversary.
It is exactly three years since Kate launched her five-year Shaping Us campaign, which aims to improve society’s understanding of the importance of early childhood in shaping adulthood and society as a whole. Ever since the campaign began back in 2023 with one of the most important speeches of her royal career, the princess has continued to highlight how children’s earliest experiences before the age of five can directly affect their later lives.
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The project has attracted support from countless celebrities, from the likes of podcaster Giovanna Fletcher and TV host Roman Kemp to even former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate.
Of course, Kate had to go through chemotherapy treatment a year into the special campaign after being diagnosed with cancer, which meant that her work had to be put on hold.
But with it now a year since she revealed the news she is now in remission – and those at the Centre for Early Childhood working hard to keep the campaign going in her absence – royal expert Jennie Bond tells the Mirror that it seems Kate’s cancer journey has reinforced her determination in helping the youngest in society.
The former BBC royal correspondent said: “It’s three years since the princess launched the Shaping Up campaign. At the time she was in good health with, as far as we know, no inkling of the difficult cancer journey that lay ahead.
She was laying the groundwork for her as a princess and, inevitably, as the queen. Catherine, the mother of three young children, made the decision to share her experience and opinions on how society can and must protect young minds and souls.
“The shock of being diagnosed with cancer has only served to reinforce her values and her belief in the importance of nurturing our youngsters, encouraging children to explore and live in harmony with nature and of finding joy in the simple things in life. Catherine now holds a deep belief in the power of nature, the need for us all to feel the connection with this world we live in and the fundamental importance of helping children explore that connection.”
Engagements highlighting the early years have been at the top of Kate’s agenda over the past 12 months, as she has gradually begun to return to her royal duties. There was a fun visit to Home Start Oxford, where she played with little ones, as well as a poignant engagement at the Anna Freud Centre in London, where she discussed the vital role of relationships and connection in shaping babies, children and young people’s future life outcomes.
Kate wrote a powerful essay in one of her boldest campaigns in October that outlines the dangers of screen time and how it can affect a child’s development.
Kate set out the biggest insight into her work yet when she aired her concerns about the problems posed by modern technology at the expense of family life in an essay written in collaboration with Professor Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development.
The princess, who took the lead in the article, claimed that focusing on maintaining healthy and happy relationships with family and friends was essential to maintaining positive relationships for generations. She added that teaching children to develop “strong social and emotional skills” would enable them to maintain positive relationships for decades.
And just weeks later, she delivered her first public address since returning to her job after receiving a personal plea to business leaders to prioritize “time and tenderness” over “productivity.”
Kate told how “love is the first and most essential bond” in a child’s life as she called on firms to invest in the development of children in the early years in order to create a healthier and happier society.
Through her work, she brought together business leaders and experts who recognized the value of family life throughout the nation. The princess addressed business leaders with a direct message to convince them to support her groundbreaking project.
Her taskforce released a report last year that suggested a range of interventions, including creating a culture that prioritizes children’s development inside and outside of businesses and providing parents with more resources and flexibility at work. It also stated that the country could invest an estimated £45.5 billion in early childhood investment.
Kate is said to have set herself a new goal to promote “the power of creativity” in order to unite families and communities in a new goal for 2026.
Mum-of-three Kate is working with royal aides to create a new programme of public engagements, as well as specific projects for the coming year, which will centre on highlighting the importance of connection and quality human relationships.
The princess was addressing her own experience, according to a royal source, and she will undoubtedly look into this further in the future. She firmly believes that soaking herself in nature, focusing on the joy of creativity, and being surrounded by loved ones, contributed to her recovery. The healing power of creativity is definitely something that has resonated throughout her work and will be explored further in the future”.
Jennie continued, “It all sounds a little airy fairy, but I think it makes perfect sense. Too frequently, when things go wrong, there is a pattern. Habits can be handed down through the generations. Addicts can breed addicts, and the abused can all too easily turn into addicts. Both good and bad behavior can be learned.
Thus, as Catherine claims, having it right in the first year of life is essential to a healthy, happy adult life. When she says these are the preventative years, I believe she is correct. They are the years and experiences that ‘ shape us ‘ and will shape future society. Catherine has a lifelong passion for this subject and has gained a reputation for it.
Of course, Kate will have had the opportunity to put into practice some of what she has learned during her work with the early years with her own children Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and seven-year-old Prince Louis.
Both she and husband Prince William have made it known that none of their children have smartphones at home and that they encourage their young ones to talk about their feelings and fears – especially in the wake of Kate’s health journey.
Kate, who was raised by herself, was blessed with loving parents, close relationships with her siblings, Pippa and James, who she appears determined to emulate with her own family unit.
And Jennie thinks that Kate’s formative years have served as the catalyst for making sure that every child receives the care and support she cherished as a child and that they are supporting her in raising the monarchy’s future.
She said:” Catherine knows how fortunate she was to have a solid, loving upbringing. She is teaching her children the same lesson. She is making an effort to make this a commonplace in society as a whole.
“I think as her own children grow older, she will (hopefully) look on them with a measure of pride that she has given them the very best of her, and encouraged them to play and explore and understand nature in a way that will have made them confident, compassionate young human beings and and rounded adults”.
Source: Mirror
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