The Princess of Wales quietly held a meeting at Windsor Castle on Tuesday as she publicly celebrates “the youngest members of our society” today.
The 42-year-old held a meeting on her Early Years Project hours before she missed out on a white-tie event held at Buckingham Palace.
The meeting was recorded in the court circular – the official record of royal engagements – which read: “The Princess of Wales, Joint Patron, the Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales, this morning held an Early Years Meeting at Windsor Castle.”
Kate – mum to Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and six-year-old Prince Louis – has been a vocal supporter of the start of a child’s life and set up the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood alongside Prince William in 2021.
In early 2023, Kate launched the Shaping Us campaign. This project has been described as her “life’s work” and is aimed at raising the profile of the crucial period of a child’s development, which stems from pregnancy up until the age of five.
Taking to X to mark World Children’s Day today, the official account for the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood tweeted: “Happy World Children’s Day! Today we celebrate the youngest members of our society.
“By building a supportive and nurturing world around children and those who raise them, we can make a huge difference for generations to come.”
Around the time that she launched the Shaping Us campaign last year, Kate delivered a passionate speech explaining why she’s dedicated her time to “helping the most vulnerable and supporting those who are most in need.”
She said: “This is not just about the youngest children in our society, who are, by their very nature, vulnerable. It is also about the many young people and adults who are suffering. We must do more than simply meet the short-term needs of these individuals. We must also look at creating long term, preventative change. And that takes us right back to the beginning.”
Despite stepping out at Windsor Castle, Kate did not appear at the white-tie diplomatic reception held on Tuesday evening. It is the first time she has missed the event in a decade.
Mingling with the 900 guests in attendance, the Prince of Wales instead attended alongside King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Kate is believed to be using time to concentrate on her upcoming Christmas Carol service in December. Speaking to HELLO! about the upcoming event, royal biographer Robert Jobson said: “Kate’s very aware of what the future holds so she’s taking the time to focus on getting fit and strong again while she can and doing it on her terms.”
