'Purple reign:' Kate reveals Louis helped her with emotional skills study as she gives 'biggest speech of her life'
15 November 2023, 14:03 | Updated: 15 November 2023, 16:09
Kate Middleton has revealed that Prince Louis took part in her early-years emotional skills study, as she gave "the biggest speech of her life" on Wednesday.
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The Princess of Wales called for "action at every level" on social and emotional issues as her early years foundation released fresh research.
Raising awareness of the importance of the early years of a child's life is said to be Kate's "life's work", and she launched her early years Shaping Us campaign in January.
Speaking ahead of her speech on Wednesday, Kate said that her youngest son Prince Louis, 5, had taken part in her early years study at school.
She told TV presenter Fearne Cotton, a campaign ambassador: "Louis' class, they came back with a feelings wheel, it's really good."
A feelings wheel is a circle depicting colour-coded emotions. It's meant to help children express their feelings more easily.
Kate said: "These are five or six-year-olds, and going with names or pictures of a colour that represents how they feel that day, so there is a real keenness in school particularly to get involved in conversations."
Giving her speech later at the Shaping US symposium at the Design Museum in west London, Kate said: "I care deeply about making a positive difference, in helping the most vulnerable and supporting those who are most in need.
A Kensington Palace source said the speech was the biggest of Kate's life.
Dressed in purple at the event, Kate said: "Nurturing skills that enable us to know ourselves, manage our emotions, focus our thoughts, communicate with others, foster positive relationships, and explore the world are just as valuable to our long-term success as reading, writing or arithmetic.
"These skills are the bedrock, not only for helping children to thrive, but also for restoring, protecting and investing in humankind.
"So, to rebalance and restore, calls for new thinking and action at every level. Because the future for our children is something we all build together; through the actions each of us takes every day."
Kate emphasised the importance of the early years development of children and said those she had met at a "crisis point" in their lives had said for others to avoid their journey, a safe and loving childhood was needed.
Kate's Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood Kensington Palace has conducted a global listening exercise, involving experts from 21 countries, with the results described as "almost a manifesto for social and emotional skills", by the centre's director Christian Guy.
Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair and ex-Conservative Party leader William Hague both took part in the event on Wednesday, while major corporations like Natwest, Unilever and IKEA are also participating in the Shaping Us campaign.
