The Princess of Wales held a private meeting with billionaire philanthropist Melinda French Gates in London earlier this month, with details of the session now confirmed.
The meeting, listed in the Court Circular for October 8, saw The Centre for Early Childhood host a session with the Princess and Ms Gates, founder of Pivotal.
Focus on Early Childhood Development
The discussion centred on the lifelong impact of early relationships and experiences, addressing ways to better support the emotional development of children and young people.
Using the Shaping Us Framework as a guide, the pair examined potential joint initiatives between Pivotal and The Royal Foundation to help young people build confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging.
Pivotal's Mission and Previous Meeting
Ms Gates is the founder of Pivotal, a group of organisations working to help social progress for women and young people in the US and around the world. The company says it uses "philanthropy, investments, and advocacy" to drive momentum for this.
Ms Gates has committed $2 billion to expanding women's power and influence. The pair previously met towards the end of June at Windsor Castle.
Royal Foundation Statement
Christian Guy, Executive Director of The Royal Foundation for Early Childhood, announced the meeting, saying: "Groundbreaking research has uncovered something profound yet reassuring: the quality of the relationships we experience throughout our lives influences our health, happiness and wellbeing like little else."
He added: "It was therefore a privilege to host a working session at The Royal Foundation with Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales and Melinda French Gates."
The session explored how the Shaping Us Framework, developed by the Princess alongside more than 100 human development experts, can help think about whole-person development at every stage of life. Over the coming months, in partnership with Melinda and Pivotal, The Royal Foundation will explore how to build on this work in practical ways.
