Kate Middleton's week was made brighter by the adorable attendees of a nursery program.
The Princess of Wales, 40, visited Foxcubs Nursery in Luton on Wednesday morning, her first solo engagement of the year. Princess Kate's visit directly connects with her mission of raising awareness of the importance of early childhood for positive lifelong outcomes, a key priority of her royal platform.
Kate arrived at the nursery, about an hour from her home in Windsor, shortly before 11am. "Very nice to meet you," she told a nursery teacher. "Thank you for having me. Is it busy for everybody, is everybody back in? There have been lots of illnesses going around," she said referring to the seasonal colds blighting lots of families.
She was told they have had "pretty much," all the children in. "Have you? Well done you."
She spent time at the sand pit table and, putting a mask to her face, goofed around with a couple of the youngsters.
Foxcubs is a free childcare and early education center for children, holding an "outstanding" ranking from the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. It is run by the Early Years Alliance, which operates 70 similar hubs for 2 to 5 year olds.
Kate spoke with early childhood educators about the formative nature of the early years and heard from parents about how Foxcubs makes a difference in their children's lives. The nursery focuses on learning through play and encourages families to be involved at the center.
In recent years, much of Princess Kate's work has been focused on early childhood development and providing kids with the best possible start in life. In 2021, she launched the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood to "raise awareness of why the first five years of life are just so important for our future life outcomes, and what we can do as a society to embrace this golden opportunity to create a happier, more mentally healthy, more nurturing society."
During her three-day trip to Boston in December with Prince William, Kate stopped by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. The Harvard Center has long been a friend of The Royal Foundation and more recently The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, supporting with past research on the importance of the early years.
Following the Princess of Wales' visit, Jack Shonkoff, Center Director of Harvard's Center on the Developing Child, said: "I was very inspired by how serious she is in wanting to lean into an early childhood agenda. It was remarkably relaxed and informative. It was a lovely one hour that we spent with her."
"I see her as very motivated in having an impact on the world," he continues. "She is personally an understated person, there was no sense of an ego in the room. You really get a sense that she understands the power of her platform and has a desire to do good and make a difference."
Though Princess Kate and Prince William had their first joint engagement of the new year last week when they officially opened Royal Liverpool University Hospital, her nursery visit Wednesday was her first solo outing since Prince Harry's book Spare had its global release. In it, the Duke of Sussex reflects on his royal upbringing, military service in Afghanistan, relationship with his elder brother Prince William and why he and Meghan Markle stepped back from their royal roles to create a new life in North America.
Prince Harry covers this week's exclusive issue of PEOPLE, now on newsstands, where he opened up about what he hopes his family takes away from his memoir.
"I want people to read my memoir and come to their own conclusions — I don't want to tell anyone what to think of it, and that includes my family," Prince Harry says. "This book and its truths are in many ways a continuation of my own mental health journey. It's a raw account of my life — the good, the bad and everything in between."
