Kate Middleton stepped out in London as she prepares for her first overseas work visit since her cancer diagnosis.
On Wednesday, May 6, the Princess of Wales, 44, visited the University of East London to highlight the latest stage of her mission to support the youngest members of society — and those who care for them.
The outing came just hours after Kate announced she will travel to the northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia on May 13 and 14 for a fact-finding trip focused on early childhood. The visit will mark her first overseas work engagement since her diagnosis and the first time she takes her Centre for Early Childhood’s work onto the international stage.
On Wednesday, Princess Kate spent time meeting families, as well as students pursuing careers in the field, as she launched a new resource aimed at those working with babies, young children and their families: Foundations for Life: A Guide to Social and Emotional Development.
Published by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, the guide underscores the “vital role of loving, responsive relationships in shaping children’s lifelong health and well-being,” according to Kensington Palace. It will be available via a new hub on the Centre for Early Childhood’s website, giving professionals easier access to key research and tools.
In an introduction to the guide, Princess Kate writes, “Now is the moment to place care and connection at the heart of all we do, and to shape a future in which love can truly flourish.”
She adds, “In a world which feels increasingly distracted, fragmented and digital, where life’s pace, noise and interruptions can be overwhelming, I believe it is more important than ever to invest in what truly helps us to thrive: human connection.”
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“While our society often focuses on academic or physical milestones, research consistently shows that it is our earliest relationships, experiences and environments which lay the foundations for our future health and happiness,” the Princess of Wales writes. “The quality of our connections — with ourselves, with others and with the world around us — shapes how safe we feel, how we relate and how we process experiences throughout our lives.”
Meeting with academics, students and families at the university, Princess Kate also discussed her Centre for Early Childhood’s latest research, which found that parents value opportunities to speak with knowledgeable, trusted practitioners — and, when professional support is limited, often turn to friends, family or online advice. Many, the Centre found, feel overwhelmed.
Kate’s effort to inspire and lead on the early years underpins much of her royal work. In 2023, she launched the Centre for Early Childhood’s Shaping Us Framework, which she says “identifies the key social and emotional skills that enable us to thrive.”
In recent years, she has also expanded her early years initiatives to engage the business community. In November, Kate hosted the Future Workforce Summit in London’s business district, delivering a speech and listening to panel discussions on the topic.
Harvard University’s Professor Robert Waldinger, who penned an essay with Princess Kate last October, said the wife of Prince William is having a “huge impact” on the subject.
“Early childhood development is not glamorous. It’s quiet and privately done, and the lack of resources doesn’t get a lot of attention. And the caregivers are so underappreciated,” he told PEOPLE at the time. “So, what she’s doing by lending her voice to this is huge. And then bringing in business leaders who have a chance to make a difference is an incredible way to use the platform that she has.”
Added research psychologist and professor Marc Brackett of Yale University, who also took part in the summit, “When you get major CEOs to be talking about the value and importance of social and emotional development, then schools and other places take it seriously. The princess has done an amazing job at activating people’s minds about the value and importance of this.”
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