Kate Middleton Highlights Mistrust and Isolation in the World

Kate Middleton has long brown hair and is wearing a pink dress

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

published 2 February 2025

After announcing she is in remission from cancer, Princess Kate has returned to work. Throughout her career, the Princess of Wales has placed great importance on human development in childhood. As part of her ongoing work with the Royal Foundation's Centre for Early Childhood, Kate has written a new foreword to The Shaping Us Framework (via People).

The report, which has been worked on by a team of clinicians, academics, practitioners, and experts in human development, focuses on improving the perception surrounding the importance of nurturing emotional development before the age of 5.

In her statement, Princess Kate said, "Modern society is complex. At times, it can feel like the world is filled with mistrust and misunderstanding, leaving many people feeling isolated and vulnerable during difficult times. The impact of this—poor mental health, addiction, and abuse—can be devastating, for individuals and for society."

The Princess of Wales continued, "If we are to address this properly, if we are to find real, lasting solutions to these deep-rooted challenges and create a physically and mentally healthier society, we must reset, restore and rebalance. We must invest in humankind."

Kate Middleton wearing a black and white plaid dress with a tie neck sitting at a star patterned table holding out her hand, which is covered in red paint, to a little girl in a striped sweater who is painting it with a brush — "We must invest in humankind."

She added, "At the heart of all of this is the need for us to develop and nurture a set of social and emotional skills which we must prioritize if we are to thrive."

Ultimately, Kate shared that the new report shows "why early childhood is such a golden opportunity to give the next generation the most positive start in life." She explained, "But it also shows that these skills continue to grow throughout adulthood—it is never too late."

Kate Middleton kneeling down in front of a table covered in paint trays and holding hands with a little girl in a pink dress while making a shocked expression — "At the heart of all of this is the need for us to develop and nurture a set of social and emotional skills."

The executive director of the Centre for Early Childhood, Christian Guy, supported Princess Kate, explaining in a statement, "It is time that we recognized and acted upon the undeniable significance of social and emotional skills and give them the recognition they deserve. Getting this right in early childhood, when we lay the foundations upon which these skills continue to grow throughout our lives, could have a truly profound impact on the future of individuals and of our society."

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Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.

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