The Princess of Wales shared a sweet baby picture of herself with her father as she launched her campaign to spotlight the ‘early years’ of childhood.
In a never-before-seen photo of her mother, Carole, a cheerful young Kate is pictured with her father, Michael Middleton.
In the picture, Kate, now 41, grabs her father’s face – and royal fans are already drawing comparisons to the royals’ youngest son, four-year-old Louis.
It comes as the mother-of-three launched her new initiative ‘Shaping Us’ with a glittering reception at BAFTA in London on Monday.
The campaign hopes to “raise awareness of the life-changing impact we can have when we build a supportive, nurturing world around children and those who care for them in their early years.”
The Princess of Wales shared a sweet baby picture of herself with her father as she launched her campaign to spotlight the ‘early years’ of childhood
In the picture, Kate, now 41, is clutching her father’s face (left) – and royal fans are already drawing comparisons to the king’s youngest son Louis (right)
Royal fans were quick to point out similarities between a young Kate and her four-year-old son Prince Louis
Sharing the new photo on social media, Kate said: “Faces are a baby’s best toy”.
She added: “We would love for you to spend time with your friends, family, colleagues and community this weekend and talk about your early childhood and how it shaped your life.
“I hope you will also consider sharing a picture of yourself with me before your fifth birthday to help with those conversations and also to share smiles and memories.”
Royal fans were quick to point out similarities between a young Kate and her four-year-old son Prince Louis.
One said: “At first glance I thought this was a photo of Louis!!”
Another added: “How much did Louis look like his mum at the same age?”
A third commented: “Wow this picture is Louis through and through!”
Sharing the new photo on social media, Kate said: “Faces are a baby’s best toy.”
The Princess of Wales has launched her new initiative – dubbed her ‘lifetime achievement’ – to shine a spotlight on the crucial ‘early years’ of childhood. It will receive an ambitious commercial blitz in cinemas and on billboards across the country.
On Tuesday, Kate appeared in a promotional video shared on her social media pages wearing a smart green blazer with a black crew-neck top underneath.
She said: “Our early childhood, the time from pregnancy to the age of five, fundamentally shapes our further life.
“But as a society, we’re currently focusing a lot more time and energy on later life.”
Kate added: “To raise awareness of the life-changing impact we can have when we build a supportive, nurturing world around children and those who care for them.
The Princess of Wales appeared in a new video shared on her official social media pages
One royal fan said: “At first glance I thought that was a photo of Louis!!” Pictured: Prince Louis
“By focusing our collective time, energy and resources on these most preventative years, we can make a huge difference in the physical and mental health and happiness of generations to come.”
The campaign, which was officially launched on Tuesday, is a long-term project for the princess, beginning with a child’s development and the importance of the formative years.
It will “explore more deeply the importance of a child’s social and emotional world” and the importance of relationships, environments and experiences.
The multimedia campaign is part of a major initiative by the Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood, launched by the Princess in June 2021.
Kate looked stylish in a red pantsuit as she launched the campaign in London
The project, which was officially launched on Tuesday, is a long-term project for the princess, beginning with a child’s development and the meaning of the formative years
It is set to run for at least five years and has been described by a Kensington Palace spokesman as the Princess’ “life’s work”.
Reports from the Center for Early Childhood have shown that the first five years shape future well-being more than any other stage of development, with our brains growing faster than at any other time.
It also hopes to break the cycle for parents who have faced difficult childhoods of their own.
Palace officials say the idea for the project began before Kate became a mother.