The Princess of Wales visited the University of East London on Wednesday afternoon to continue her ongoing commitment to early childhood development.
Dressed in a camel-coloured wide-leg trouser-suit with her hair worn down, Catherine spent time with families who have babies and young children.
The engagement focused on discussing recent research into early years care and the significance of building reliable professional support networks around families.
During the visit, the princess unveiled a new guide from her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.
Princess of Wales | Source: PA
The 109-page publication, titled “Foundations for Life,” provides guidance on social and emotional development for practitioners and volunteers working with young children and their families.
In her foreword to the guide, the Princess of Wales writes: “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.”
She continues: “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.”
Princess of Wales | Source: PA
Catherine also highlights the significance of the early years window, noting: “By age five, our brains have already grown to 90% of their adult size making early childhood a critical window for developing the social and emotional skills that become the bedrock of lifelong wellbeing.”
The Wednesday engagement coincided with the announcement that Catherine will undertake her first overseas royal tour since completing cancer treatment.
Next week, the princess will travel solo to Reggio Emilia in Italy for a two-day working visit connected to her Centre for Early Childhood.
Princess of Wales | Source: PA
Princess of Wales | Source: PA
This European trip represents a significant milestone for the future queen, marking her first extended official foreign engagement in approximately three-and-a-half years.
A Kensington Palace spokesperson said: “The Princess is very much looking forward to visiting Italy next week and seeing first-hand how the Reggio Emilia approach creates environments where nature and loving human relationships come together to support children’s development.”
The spokesperson added: “As the Centre for Early Childhood continues to build its work internationally, this visit is an opportunity to connect the Shaping Us Framework with leading global approaches, and to highlight a shared understanding, that it is in these early years, through the natural world and the warmth of human connection, that we begin to lay the foundations for a resilient and healthy future.”
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