The Princess of Wales today launches a ‘pivotal’ new stage in her public work on helping the youngest in society with a high-profile engagement in London.
Catherine, 44, is at the University of East London (UEL) near Stratford to unveil a new online resource by her Centre for Early Childhood for everyone working with babies, young children and their families.
‘Foundations for Life: A Guide to Social and Emotional Developments’ has been designed to strengthen understanding across the early years system of why social and emotional development matters so profoundly, and how these skills begin to take shape from the very earliest months of life.
The princess will spend time with a number of children who will be wearing monitors and stress sensors in various situations: playing, breaking off contact with their parent and in the ‘Imaginarium’ which monitors their reactions to different environments such as a busy train station or a natural setting.
It comes as Kensington Palace announced that the princess would undertake her first official foreign visit for almost four years next week when she travels to Italy with her early years team.
Catherine has not travelled abroad on official duties since December 2022 and her last solo visit was in February of that year.
In January 2024 she was admitted to hospital for major abdominal surgery after which she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent preventive chemotherapy treatment, which led her to temporarily withdraw from public life.
The future queen began undertaking a limited number of engagements in October 2024 but has not yet travelled abroad for work.
The Princess of Wales meets with Mikhail, three, as she learns about wearable technology
The Princess of Wales learns about brain recording techniques at the ‘Foundations for Life: A Guide to Social and Emotional Development’ launch at the University of East London today
The Princess of Wales speaks with Mikhail, three, as she learns about wearable technology
The Princess of Wales meets families with babies and young children to discuss her research
The Princess of Wales smiles as she arrives at the University of East London this afternoon
The Princess hears about social and emotional development in the ‘Imaginarium’ room
The Princess of Wales learns about brain recording techniques at the University of East London
The Princess of Wales meets families with babies and young children to discuss her research
The Princess of Wales smiles as she meets students on early years courses in London
Catherine was at UEL today to meet families, researchers and students, alongside leaders in further and higher education from across the UK.
These leaders have already committed to embedding the guide within their teaching, training and professional practice.
The princess believes that in an increasingly ‘fragmented and digital world’, it is more important than ever to focus on how children can be equipped to cope better in later life.
Grounded in science and practical insight and developed with early childhood experts, professionals and practitioners, the guide highlights the vital role of loving, responsive relationships in shaping children’s lifelong health and wellbeing.
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It will be published on a new hub on the Centre’s website, bringing together all its resources for professionals and practitioners.
In the foreword to the guide, the princess writes: ‘In a world which feels increasingly distracted, fragmented and digital… it is more important than ever to invest in what truly helps us to thrive: human connection.’
She emphasises that by the age of five, a child’s brain has grown to 90 per cent of its adult size, making early childhood a critical window for developing the social and emotional skills that will prove the bedrock of adult life.
Catherine adds: ‘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 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.’
The publication of the guide comes as new research from the Centre, ‘The First Five Years: A Parent Perspective’, shows that parents value opportunities to speak with knowledgeable, trusted practitioners and want clear, authoritative information from formal sources.
When professional support is limited or brief, parents often turn to friends, family or online advice.
The Princess watches as children wear monitors and stress sensors in different situations
The Princess of Wales is greeted outside the University of East London this afternoon
The Princess of Wales meets families with babies and young children to discuss her research
The Princess watches as children wear monitors and stress sensors in different situations
The Princess of Wales smiles as she arrives at the University of East London this afternoon
The Princess watches as children wear monitors and stress sensors in different situations
The Princess of Wales meets families with babies and young children to discuss her research
The Princess of Wales is greeted outside the University of East London this afternoon
The Princess of Wales meets families with babies and young children to discuss her research
Many report feeling overwhelmed by the volume of information available, which can create uncertainty and confusion at a time when reassurance and consistency matter most.
The new guide supports practitioners by setting out a shared, accessible repository of knowledge about social and emotional development.
This in turn aims to promote more ‘confident, consistent conversations with families’ and helps parents ‘recognise how warm, nurturing relationships…. can lay the strongest possible foundations for their child’s future’.
During the visit to the university, the princess will meet families with babies and young children to discuss the research and the importance of having a trusted network of professionals who can offer clear, consistent advice early in a child’s life.
She will also spend time at UEL’s Institute for the Science of Early Years and Youth to see how its researchers use pioneering brain recording techniques to study how the diverse early living environments and relationships experienced by babies influence early stress – both in the child themselves and their parents and caregivers.
The princess will meet students on early years courses to hear how social and emotional development is taught, including the use of the Centre’s resources.
She will also meet vice chancellors and further education college chief executives from around the UK who have publicly committed to embedding this foundational knowledge into early years training.
Professor Amanda Broderick, vice chancellor and president of UEL, said: ‘At the University of East London, we sit at the intersection of research, education and community.
‘Our work in early childhood combines cutting-edge science with real-world application, and our scale as a provider of early years and health professional training means we can embed this knowledge across the future workforce.
‘Alongside fellow higher education together with further education leaders who have committed to a shared pledge, and in partnership with the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, we have a unique opportunity to help lead the shift from insight to implementation: embedding a consistent understanding of social and emotional development across systems and improving outcomes for children across the life course, ensuring every child has the foundations they need to flourish and thrive.’
The princess and her Centre say they want the social and emotional development of children to be put on an equal footing with physical and cognitive development by health and education professionals.
In the months ahead, the Centre will work closely with leaders across the early years system to embed this understanding into entry‑level training and ongoing professional development, helping to ‘create the conditions in which love can flourish, and children can thrive’.
