Princess Kate has been praised for the “energy” and “passion” she brings to her early childhood development work, by a Harvard professor she has written a paper with.
The Princess of Wales made her first public speech since 2023 at the Future Workforce Summit in October, after announcing she was in remission from cancer in early 2025 and returning to public work.
The event in London marked a landmark moment for the Princess of Wales as she returned to royal work with a subject close to her heart.
Harvard University Professor Robert Waldinger heaped praise on the princess, revealing: “Early childhood development is not glamorous.
The Princess of Wales has been praised by Professor Robert Waldinger for her commitment to early years development
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"It's quiet and privately done, and the lack of resources doesn't get a lot of attention. And the caregivers are so under-appreciated.
“So, what she's doing by lending her voice to this is huge. And then bringing in business leaders who have a chance to make a difference is an incredible way to use the platform that she has.
“She's well-informed. She takes it upon herself to read and know about the developments. It's a big deal what she's doing.”
The Princess of Wales stayed at the event much longer than anticipated, learning more about the topic, something Professor Waldinger claims shows the princess’s “passion” for the topic.
He continued: “What you see is her energy for this endeavour. She has a passion for it and a personal connection.
"If we're lucky, most of us do the work that we do because we have a personal connection and it means something to us.
“That is what seems clear in how she approaches this and what she's like when she sits in the room with all these speakers talking about this.”
Yale University Professor Marc Brackett added: “She's a mum and a cancer survivor. When you have health challenges, it opens up your eyes to the value of life and having skills to manage emotions.
The Princess of Wales made her first speech since 2023 after entering remission from cancer at the Future Workforce Summit in October
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“She seems well and motivated. I would just say that having an impact in early childhood development doesn't necessarily mean you go directly into early childhood development.
"It means that you attract all the influencers, like the major CEO of companies.
“And when you get major CEOs to be talking about the value and importance of social and emotional development, then schools and other places take it seriously.
"The princess has done an amazing job at activating people's minds about the value and importance of this.”
Professor Waldinger concluded to People: “When you're ill, you rely on carers a lot. The quality of caring from medical professionals or family matters a lot.
"I'm in medicine and, believe me, we have all had experience with medical professionals who are not caring and ones who are really good — the difference in terms of their emotional intelligence makes all the difference when we are ill.”
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Kate is a mother of three and created the Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood in 2023 to gain more investment in early years.
During her speech at the conference, she said: “A loving home ultimately teaches us how to love and how to care, but every environment has the potential to shape our hearts.
“Every one of you interacts with your own environment; a home, a family, a business, a workforce, a community. These are the ecosystems that you yourselves help to weave.
“Imagine a world where each of these environments were built on valuing time and tenderness just as much as productivity and success.
The Princess of Wales stayed longer then expected at the event to speak to leaders in the field
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“Every child deserves respect and safety, and everyone who cares deserve recognition and appreciation.
"Every act of care creates community because we are all essentially weavers of that same fabric.
“I believe in restoring the dignity to the quiet, often invisible work of caring, of loving well, as we look to build a happier, healthier society.”
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