Kate means business in £1.5k blazer as she launches taskforce for Early Childhood
The Princess of Wales channelled business casual as she headed into London on Tuesday to launch her new 'Taskforce for Early Childhood'.
Kate, 41, stepped it up in the city by wearing her Alexander McQueen cream blazer for the meeting, in which the royal hosted chief executives from a number of companies including Unilever, Lego, Iceland and Deloitte.
Ever the colour-coordinator, she paired the £1,490 tailored cream jacket with a matching cream satin vest, and continued a monochrome theme with tailored black trousers and her go-to Gianvito Rossi high-heeled court shoes.
Held at the Natwest headquarters in the City of London, Kate met with several influential company CEOs, executives and presidents to discuss how, by investing in Early Childhood, they can help create the societal change needed to transform lives for generations to come.
Run by business, for business, the Business Taskforce will play “an essential role” in the Princess of Wales’ “life’s work” to change the way in which society prioritises and supports children and the ecosystems around them in their earliest years.
The taskforce will work to engage and support the business sector on the issue of early childhood and will help steer the wider business community towards “building a supportive and nurturing world around children and those who care for them,” according to Kensington Palace.
Speaking about looking at “childhood holistically”, the princess discussed the need to make early childhood “the societal equivalent of climate change” insisting that businesses have an “important role to play in ensuring that our social ecosystems are protected too”.
“From pregnancy to age five, our brains develop at an amazing rate, faster than any other age. During this time, we lay the foundations and building blocks for life,” she said in a speech. “It is when we learn to understand ourselves, understand others and learn about the world in which we live.”
“The way we develop, through our experiences, relationships and surroundings at that very young age, lays the scaffolding for our abilities and capabilities as we grow, and into adulthood,” she continued. “This time really is, therefore, a golden opportunity to transform our future life outcomes.”
The campaign aims to transform the issue of early childhood from one of scientific interest to one of the most strategically important topics of our time.
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“This is a critical issue for the future growth and success of our businesses, our economy and our society,” said NatWest Group Chief Executive, Dame Alison Rose, as she welcomed the Princess of Wales to Tuesday’s meeting.
“As business leaders, we have an important responsibility to the colleagues, customers and communities we serve. This Taskforce can deliver positive change by bringing together a wealth of experience across the private sector to help provide the support and resources that young children and their carers need to thrive.”
The creation of the Business Taskforce for Early Childhood follows the launch of Shaping Us in January, a long-term campaign spearheaded by the Princess of Wales as part of her work with the Royal Foundation, which she launched in 2020.
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