Why Princess of Wales could be Government’s most valuable soft power asset - Inside the Palace

Exclusive: Why Princess of Wales could be Government’s most valuable soft power asset

While the eyes of the world watched the UK Government implode this week, one British royal continued to fly the flag high for Brand Britain.

I travelled to the northern Italian city of Reggio Emilia to cover the princess's "global mission" to make early childhood development as "urgent" an issue as climate change.

Her team were so “delighted” that so many people came out, saying: "It was so wonderful! On almost every drive, every street was lined with people waving to share their well wishes!"

It used to be called "Katemania", but Catherine (as she prefers to be called) is now the future Queen.

The reception she received after a three-and-a-half-year absence from official foreign travel showed the princess's star power had not faded in the slightest.

Her Royal Highness's global status has given her the power to ignite change, similar to her husband, Prince William's, mission to repair the planet for future generations.

Catherine wants to strengthen the foundations of those generations through their early childhood experiences.

This week, you have heard the princess talk about the Reggio Emilia Approach to early childhood development, something I heard her say she wished could be replicated in education settings across the world.

The child-centred early education philosophy encourages creativity, exploration, collaboration and learning through hands-on experiences.

Instead of teachers dictating the subjects, classes are guided by the children's interests.

This "world-leading" approach, pioneered shortly after World War Two, has been proven to produce the healthier and happier adults of tomorrow.

It's clear from listening to the princess's interactions and speaking to her closest aides that she sees herself as the best person to catapult the issue of early childhood development onto the international stage.

The Princess of Wales has started a global conversation, widely covered this week in the UK, the United States, Australia and (of course) Italy.

Let's see if this lifelong mission of hers will one day reap tangible benefits.

As a sidenote, if the Labour Government hadn't spent the week fighting with each other, they may have realised what a useful asset the Princess of Wales could be to them.

When the dust settles, with or without a new Prime Minister, I suspect the Royal Visits Committee will be actively drawing up plans for Catherine, alongside William, to deploy their soft power for Britain's benefit.

Prince Harry appears to criticise pro-Palestine protests as King shows support for Jewish community

The King met with survivors of Golders Green attacks this week, as hundreds of Jews thanked him for showing his support.

Despite the strict secrecy ahead of the monarch's visit to North London, locals crammed behind crash barriers, suggesting the news had leaked that King Charles was on his way.

Two Jewish men were stabbed on the street in broad daylight on April 29, but fortunately survived.

His Majesty spent time with victims Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, 76, at the Jewish Care charity centre.

Mr Baila, who also goes by the name Norman Shine, told reporters that the King was "very concerned" by the attacks.

"The most inspiring thing was that he didn’t let go of my hand, I mean, it was amazing, he is the King, but I felt a genuine warmth and concern."

Mr Baila said that the visit felt “extremely important” for the whole Jewish community, adding "we feel we have a genuine friend in the King."

The King directly asked Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, about policing in the area, suggesting he was concerned about the safety of the Jewish community as antisemitism continues to rise.

The Metropolitan Police recently announced a community protection team of 100 extra officers to help safeguard the Jewish community, despite the Commissioner's previously asking for 300 extra police officers from the UK Government.

Meanwhile, His Majesty's son, Prince Harry, wrote a piece for The New Statesman, calling out growing antisemitism in the UK and appearing to criticise continued pro-Palestine marches.

He wrote: "We have seen how legitimate protest against state actions in the Middle East does exist alongside hostility toward Jewish communities at home - just as we have also seen how criticism of those actions can be too easily dismissed or mischaracterised.

"Nothing, whether criticism of a government or the reality of violence and destruction, can ever justify hostility toward an entire people or faith."

Prince Harry also acknowledged his own "past mistakes" when he dressed up as a Nazi for a party in 2005 at the age of 20.

It is understood that public support for the Jewish community from both the King and the Duke of Sussex this week was not coordinated.

Exclusive: 'These stories matter': Prince Harry's fight to honour servicemen in new Netflix film

Prince Harry and Meghan are producing a new blockbuster for Netflix, which could genuinely be a chart-topper, after the second series of the Duchess of Sussex's lifestyle programme failed to make the top 1,000.

No Way Out: The Searing True Story of Men Under Siege tells the true story of brave Paras and Royal Irish Rangers defending a district in the dangerous Helmand, Afghanistan, in July 2006.

First reported by Deadline and confirmed by GB News, the memoir was written by Major Adam Jowett, who led the unit, and it is now being adapted into a screenplay.

War film biopics, especially with a big Netflix budget, tend to do quite well for the platform.

Given Prince Harry's own experience fighting in Afghanistan, and his drive to support veterans and serving Armed Forces personnel, I suspect this will become a poignant passion project for him.

A source close to Prince Harry said: "Having served in Afghanistan himself, this is a story that resonates deeply with him.

"What drew him to the story of No Way Out was not just the intensity of it, but the extraordinary courage, resilience and brotherhood shown by servicemen under impossible circumstances.

"I know he believes these stories matter - not to glorify war, but to honour sacrifice, spotlight the human cost of service, and ensure the experiences of veterans are neither forgotten nor misunderstood."

In a further indication that the film could do well in the charts, the screenplay is being written by the Oscar-nominated writer Matt Charman.

Mr Charman received the Academy nomination for Steven Spielberg-directed and Tom Hanks-starring Bridge of Spies.

He also served as showrunner for Netflix's Treason and Hostage, both of which performed well in the charts.