Kate’s work focused on early childhood development has entered a new stage. This morning, Kensington Palace released via the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Twitter account a 90-second claymation film showing the experiences and development of a girl named Layla during her first five years of life.
The touching film opens with a message, reading: “From pregnancy to age five, our brains develop faster than at any other time in our lives.”
It then shows the girl being smothered as a newborn, playing with toys, interacting with her parents and being left at nursery school to play with other children.
The closing message, which is the foundation of Kate’s work on early childhood development, says: “Our early childhood shapes the adults we become.”
This video, accompanying the launch of Kate’s new early years campaign called Shaping Us, will be screened in cinemas across the UK beginning Friday.
A statement by Kensington Palace read: “In the film, we see Layla navigate her way through various experiences as a newborn, a toddler and young child, with the help of those around her.
“The film shows how her interactions with people and places— from her parents’ cuddles, to a reassuring arm on her shoulder from a nursery teacher and supportive cheer from a swimming teacher—stimulate her brain and development.”
The release of the clip was welcomed by many royal fans and Twitter users, with one, mrc (@brigantia__) saying: “Beautiful video. Love your work Princess Catherine, what you’ve created will help better the lives of many”.
Others praised Kate for her new campaign, including Umaimah Majaz (@theroyalhobby), who wrote: “Loving how the campaign is taking shape! Can’t wait for more details. Everything looks great already”.
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And Bernadette Sassen (@bernadette_59) added: “It is an incredible video I am crying while writing this tweet ‘happy tears’.”
Princess Kate has long championed the positive impact a nurturing world can have on the development of young babies – and how the experiences they make at this stage of their life will shape the adults they become.
Among the factors experts working on Kate’s campaign have cited to create a quality environment for early childhood are accessible local parks and safe affordable housing.
The film comes just hours after Kate stepped out in an all-red suit to attend the launch event of Shaping Us at BAFTA.
Accompanied by Prince William, the Princess delivered a speech in which she spoke of her “long-term campaign” to shine a spotlight on a child’s start in life.
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She said: “It is essential, to not only understand the unique importance of our earliest years, but to know what we can all do to help raise future generations of happy, healthy adults.”
Kate is expected to make a number of public and online appearances this week to promote her new campaign.
Upon launching the new initiative with the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood today, the Princess said in a statement released today: “The way we develop, through our experiences, relationships, and surroundings during our early childhood, fundamentally shapes our whole lives.
“It affects everything from our ability to form relationships and thrive at work, to our mental and physical well-being as adults and the way we parent our own children.
“These are the most preventative years. By focusing our collective time, energy, and resources to build a supportive, nurturing world around the youngest members of our society and those caring for them, we can make a huge difference to the health and happiness of generations to come.”
