The Princess of Wales is marking a significant milestone this week, as her flagship Shaping Us campaign reaches its three-year anniversary. Launched in January 2023, the ambitious five-year project aims to transform society's understanding of how the first five years of life shape adulthood and our communities.
A Lifelong Mission Reinforced by Personal Challenge
Royal expert and former BBC correspondent Jennie Bond told the Mirror that the Princess's personal health battle has only strengthened her commitment to the cause. Kate's cancer diagnosis in 2024 forced her to temporarily step back from public duties, but those close to the Centre for Early Childhood worked diligently to maintain the campaign's momentum.
"The shock of being diagnosed with cancer has only served to reinforce her values," Bond stated. She explained that the Princess now holds a deep belief in the power of nature, connection, and finding joy in simple things, principles she is eager to pass on to the next generation.
Bold Moves and Public Advocacy
Since beginning a gradual return to royal duties, Kate has placed early years engagements at the heart of her schedule. Highlights include a playful visit to Home-Start Oxford and a thoughtful discussion at the Anna Freud Centre in London on the role of relationships in child development.
In one of her most assertive steps, the Princess authored a powerful essay in October 2025, co-written with Harvard's Professor Robert Waldinger. The piece warned of the dangers of excessive screen time and championed the irreplaceable value of family connection for building a child's social and emotional skills.
Weeks later, she delivered her first major speech post-diagnosis, making a personal plea to business leaders. She urged them to value 'time and tenderness' alongside productivity and to invest in early childhood, arguing it could benefit the nation by an estimated £45.5 billion.
Looking Forward: Creativity, Nature, and Family
For 2026, the mother-of-three is setting a new goal: to promote the power of creativity in uniting families and communities. A royal source revealed that Kate attributes part of her own recovery to immersing herself in nature and creative pursuits, a theme she plans to explore further.
Jennie Bond emphasised the practical importance of Kate's work. "All too often there is a pattern when things go wrong... Behaviour—good and bad—can be learned," she said. "So getting it right in early childhood can, as Catherine advocates, be the key to healthy, happy adult lives."
The Princess and Prince William are applying these principles at home with their children—Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7. They have confirmed the children do not have smartphones and are encouraged to openly discuss their feelings.
"Catherine knows how fortunate she was to have a solid, loving upbringing. She is giving the same to her children," Bond concluded. "So she’s trying every avenue she can to make this the norm for society at large."
