We are all fortunate if we can find our passion work—work that sets our soul on fire and helps us fulfill our purpose. The Princess of Wales has found hers in early years development and children’s mental health, launching The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, focusing on the first five years of children’s lives and those years’ importance to our overall development, and kicking off her “Shaping Us” campaign, which raises awareness for the importance of those early years. This isn’t performative work—this is truly her life’s work—and as a result, social media has taken to calling her “The Children’s Princess,” a derivative of her late mother-in-law Princess Diana’s nickname of “The People’s Princess,” The Mirror reports. (Diana, the outlet writes, was first given that moniker in 1992, five years before her untimely death at 36 in 1997.)
“The Princess of Wales is proving yet again why she is The Children’s Princess,” one social media user wrote, per The Mirror. “She loves working with and working for children. Catherine is wonderful and I’m excited to see the things she will do in the future.” Ahead of Children’s Mental Health Week, another social media user wrote “I can’t wait to see what the Princess of Wales, known as a Children’s Princess, has in store for us on #childrensmentalhealthweek next week.”
Catherine, upon launching “Shaping Us,” described the initiative as her “life’s work,” saying “it is more important than ever” to support the development of young children: “The way we develop, through our experiences, relationships, and surroundings during our early childhood, fundamentally shapes our whole lives,” she said. “It affects everything from our ability to form relationships and thrive at work to our mental and physical well-being as adults and the way we parent our own children.”
She continued “These are the most preventative years. By focusing on our collective time, energy, and resources to build a supportive, nurturing world around the youngest members of our society and those caring for them, we can make a huge difference to the health and happiness of generations to come.”
Of the initiative, she concluded “All of society has a role to play in this, even if you are not directly involved in a child’s life, because we are all responsible for building a more compassionate world in which our children can grow, learn, and live. In these difficult times, it more important than ever to help support parents and caregivers provide loving, safe, and secure homes for their babies and young children to survive.”
Catherine, her husband Prince William, and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are currently on summer holiday, ahead of the kids’ return to school at Lambrook on September 6. A traditional visit to Balmoral is expected before the kids’ return to school and William and Catherine’s return to work, where one of their first tasks is leading public tributes for Queen Elizabeth to mark the first anniversary of her death on September 8 at age 96.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
Hilary Duff Welcomes 3rd Child With Husband Matthew Koma
Townes is her fourth child overall.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Upgrade Your Vacation Wardrobe With Summer Staples From Shopbop and Nordstrom Rack
Next stop: The airport.
By Julia Marzovilla Published
-
Well, Netflix’s ‘The Crown’ Might Not Be Completely Done After All
The success of ‘Scoop’ is reportedly prompting the streaming giant’s bosses to bring ‘The Crown’ back in a new, interesting form after the show concluded last year.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Kate Refuses to Be Anything But “Resolutely Cheerful” Around Her Kids Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, Royal Author Says
More than ever, as she receives treatment for cancer, the hope is to “keep the prevailing mood as upbeat as possible.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Kate Middleton Omitted This Word from Her Wedding Vows to Prince William So That, From the Start, They Would Be Seen as Equals
Her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, had broken tradition and done the same in her own vows to Prince Charles 30 years prior.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William “Has Never Been More Protective” of Princess Kate Than He Is Now—and Will “Make Sure She’s Spoiled” on Their Anniversary Today
To mark 13 years since their royal wedding, the couple released a never-before-seen photo from the big day.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Former Royal Butler Describes What It Was Like to Work for Princess Kate
“I’m really grateful for all those memories.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Kate Makes History with New Appointment from Father-in-Law King Charles
The two have grown especially close in recent months as both undergo treatment for cancer.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis “Are Following Some New Rules” at Home to Help Make Life Easier for Princess Kate
As their mother receives treatment for cancer, the Wales trio is reportedly pitching in and taking on some extra chores around the house.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William Single-Handedly Planned His and Kate Middleton’s Romantic Honeymoon
Kate had no idea where they were headed on their two week luxurious break from reality until after their 2011 wedding.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Kate Reportedly Carries These Four Items in Her Enviable Collection of Handbags
Guarantee we all carry at least one of these items in our own, as well.
By Rachel Burchfield Published