In an effort to get the country talking about how important our early years are, the Princess of Wales shared a precious photo of herself as a baby.
In the adorable picture posted on social media to support her Shaping Us campaign, Catherine is seen in her father Michael Middleton’s arms, reaching out to touch his face with her tiny hands. She states: in the caption: “The best toy for a baby is a face. To raise awareness of the crucial role our early years play in shaping the rest of our lives, we launched #ShapingUs on Tuesday.”
Photo: Custom
She went on: “We encourage you to discuss your early years and how they affected your lives this weekend with your friends, families, coworkers, and communities.”
“I hope you’ll also think about sharing a photo of yourselves before your fifth birthday with me to help with those conversations and to share some smiles and memories too,” she added.
She adds a camera emoji to her post and signs the caption with her initial C, “with Dad, by Mum.”
A representative for the Princess said to HELLO! : “The Shaping Us campaign aims to draw attention to the value of early years and inspire people all over the nation to discuss the value of their own early childhood.
We hope that by encouraging people to share a photo of themselves before their fifth birthday, it will facilitate conversations with their families, friends, coworkers, and neighborhood.
Photo: Getty Images
The Princess is requesting images from the public for the second time to help spark a discussion. More than 31,000 portraits were submitted for her wildly successful Hold Still campaign in 2020, depicting life under lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic.
During a reception on Monday, Catherine gave an overview of her campaign, which has been promoted this week by a number of events and videos. She described it as a long-term project that starts with how a child develops and the significance of the formative years.
The importance of a child’s social and emotional world, as well as the importance of connections and “surroundings and experiences,” will be further explored, according to her, who also promised that it will do so in greater detail.”
The Princess continued, “Of course, by understanding our own childhoods — what has shaped our own beliefs, relationships, behaviors, and feelings — we, as adults, are better positioned to play our part in positively influencing future generations.”
Photo: Custom
In an open discussion with Capital Breakfast host Roman Kemp that aired on Friday, Catherine laid out her campaign goals. As part of her Shaping Us campaign, she also had a touching conversation with young children at St. John’s CE School during which she shared Layla’s Story.
As she inquires about the kids’ teddy bears, including one named Barnaby, the mom-of-three, who is a natural when it comes to interacting with children, is seen charming the kids. She then confesses that she wishes she had brought her own teddy along.
The Princess attended events at Kirkgate Market and the University of Leeds on the day of the launch on Tuesday, where she spoke with students enrolled in the Childhood Studies program.
To coincide with the beginning of the campaign, The Princess also opened a brand-new Instagram account.
