As far as royal engagements go, it’s been a quiet couple of months for the Cambridge family. In March, Kate Middleton opened up about her cancer diagnosis in an emotional video posted on social media and has been quietly recuperating away from the public eye ever since.
But this week, we saw a small glimpse into the work Kate has been doing being the scenes with the release of a new report by her early years foundation. The report, by Kate’s Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, proposes that investing in early childhood could generate more than £45.5 billion for the national economy each year.
It proposes a wide range of interventions, including ‘building a culture’ that prioritises early years childhood within businesses, increased support for baby banks, improving flexibility in the workplace and supporting initiatives which increase access to affordable childhood education and care.
Last week, there appeared to be another hint on the Kensington Royal Twitter that Kate could be returning to work, with a post about a 'special film' highlighting the mental health struggles faced by young farmers.
However, a Kensington Palace spokesperson has said that the report isn’t a sign that Kate will be returning to public duties. She is currently undergoing 'preventative chemotherapy', but the spokesperson did confirm that Kate had been across the report from home, despite her diagnosis.
Her spokesman said, 'The work of The Prince and Princess' projects is "always on"…early childhood is a huge priority for The Princess and so she has been kept fully updated throughout the development of the Taskforce's work and she has seen the report.’
William has made a return to public duties while Kate recovers in private. Earlier this month, he gave an update on Kate's health on a visit to St. Mary's Community Hospital on the Isles of Scilly, saying she is 'doing well.'
While the Early Years report indicates a return to public duties isn't imminent, it follows suggestions that Kate has been keeping on top of projects by 'working from home’ following her abdominal surgery. A senior royal aide told The Daily Mail that Kate was the ‘driving force’ behind the business task force, continuing that she read the report and was briefed on it. ‘This is a clear commitment she has made that throughout her life of public service that this will be focus. That will continue when she returns to work. But we have been really clear that she needs the space and the privacy to recover right now. She will return to work when she has had the green light from doctors,’ they said.
All this marks a major landmark for Kate. While the royal family famously stay out of politics, the ideas laid out in the report back up what many maternity campaigners - and Grazia have been calling for from the government. Last year, Pregnant Then Screwed, delivered a letter signed by over 50,000 parents to Rishi Sunak, and Jeremy Hunt urging them to invest in early years education and care in the upcoming Spring budget. In October 2022, they marched across 11 cities in the UK to demand Government reform of childcare, flexible working and parental leave, triggering a national conversation about how the system is failing working parents.
These are all matters that are incredibly close to Kate’s heart. Kate's long-term campaign, Shaping Us, which she launched in January last year, has been described as her 'life's work.' It aims to recognise how the first five years of a child’s life can shape its future. A mum of three herself, Kate has always spoken openly about the rollercoaster of motherhood. Since launching her Five Big Questions On The Under Fives campaign in 2020, she’s promoted the importance of early childhood years as well as banishing the stigma of struggling with parenthood.
She created the Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Children last March, bringing together bosses from eight companies to work together and recognise how they can make young children a priority.
Christian Guy, executive director of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, said that Kate was 'excited' by the campaign, and that the early year's campaign was 'rolling on as she recovers.'
In a joint statement, the eight companies said that Kate Middleton had last year asked them to ‘think radically about our approach to early childhood and the golden opportunity it presents to transform the lives of children today, as well as their future life outcomes.'