Princess of Wales shares photo of herself as baby as she launches early years campaign
4 February 2023, 19:51 | Updated: 4 February 2023, 23:44
The Princess of Wales has shared a picture of herself as a baby on social media as she launched a campaign on the importance of early years.
Alongside the image, which was posted on the Kensington Palace Twitter, Kate wrote: "Faces are a baby's best toy."
The photograph, which was taken by her mother Carole, shows the senior royal as a baby wearing a summer dress, with her father Michael Middleton.
Kate posted the image after launching her Shaping Us campaign on Tuesday, raising awareness of the crucial role that early years play in shaping the rest of our lives.
In a series of tweets, Kate said: "This weekend, we'd love for you all to spend time with your friends, families, colleagues and communities talking about your early childhoods and how they've shaped your lives.
"I hope you'll also consider joining me in sharing a picture of yourselves before your fifth birthday to help with those conversations and to share some smiles and memories too."
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Several users replied to the tweets with photos of themselves as kids with their parents.
“Faces are a baby’s best toy.”
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) February 4, 2023
On Tuesday we launched #ShapingUs to raise awareness of the vital role our early years play in shaping the rest of our lives.
📸 with Dad, by Mum. [1/3] pic.twitter.com/YZpOGl0dCP
The princess said her initiative goes beyond "raising kids" and is also concerned with "shaping our society" and creating a "more nurturing world".
Speaking to radio presenter Roman Kemp, she said highlighting the importance of these early years wasn't about putting further pressure on parents but saying that they needed "help reprioritising family life".
The Shaping Us campaign aims to increase the profile of the vital period of our mental development from pregnancy to the age of five.
The initiative is supported by a number of celebrities including Lionesses' captain Leah Williamson, presenter Fearne Cotton, rapper Professor Green, former The Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes.
Speaking to Kemp, Kate said: "This isn't just about raising kids.
"It's about shaping our futures, shaping our society, creating a happier, healthier, more nurturing world for us all to live in."
