How Kate Middleton Is 'Willing to Adapt' to a Modern Monarchy: 'She Started a Whole Movement'
Kate Middleton’s Early Childhood initiative reflects her vision for a modern monarchy.
There is a good reason why Kate Middleton is seen as the royal family's saving grace. After all, she and Prince William represent the future of a modern monarchy, an approach King Charles has long championed in place of ribbon-cutting ceremonies. On that note, royal expert Victoria Howard points to one key initiative started by the Princess of Wales that reflects this shift: the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which focuses on improving how society supports children from birth to age five.
Speaking to Good Housekeeping, Howard explained that Middleton's initiative was in stark contrast to how her predecessors had approached such causes, i.e., by joining hands with existing charities. She said, "I think [the foundation] is a really great example of how Catherine saw there was a problem and wanted to do something about it. She's built that from the ground up. Rather than putting her name to existing causes, she started a whole movement herself." The Princess of Wales launched the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021, backing scientific studies and gathering data on child development and parenting to improve early years for a 'healthier, happier society.'
Against that backdrop, Middleton ensured she did her homework by bringing together the latest studies and top experts, going so far as to launch her own research. Howard continued, "It began with a big survey about parents and the wider public's attitudes towards childhood and raising children, and then it developed from there. It took the data from people's opinions on this topic, got experts together with the known data and science, and then used that to decide the next steps." Not done with her good work, the Princess then launched the Shaping Us campaign, which highlights how the first five years of a child's life can strongly influence their future development.
In a similar vein, the royal expert also appreciated Prince William's support for the environment through The Earthshot Prize. She believed that such initiatives showed that the Prince and Princess of Wales were 'listening and willing to adapt' their approach as royals, as she said, "Earthshot, for example, that's bringing together lots of different organizations who are doing fantastic work. William's name gets the word out there to showcase the fantastic stuff that's going on, while supporting projects that are doing environmental good with funding and money."
Unsurprisingly, Howard isn't the only expert who has spoken highly of Middleton's importance in the monarchy in challenging times. In a conversation with OK! Magazine, royal expert Hugo Vickers opined, "Catherine is hugely popular; she's the star of the royal family. The other royals, like Princess Anne, do a wonderful job, but with Prince Harry and Andrew off the scene, we have a very small royal family now. We really need Catherine." His comments came against ongoing concerns over King Charles' health following his cancer diagnosis in 2024, while Middleton remains in remission.
