Princess Kate sends personal thank you message after important visit highlighted ‘toxic’ health crisis

Taking to social media, Kate began: “Attention is the most basic form of love.

“In our increasingly distracted world, it has never been more important to hold on to what truly connects us - to ourselves, to one another, and to the world around us,” she continued.

The Princess of Wales wished a touching: “Thank you to Home-Start and the Rose Hill Community Centre in Oxford for today and for all you do to nurture strong connections in the community.”

She signed off with a simple “C” - the initial of Catherine, signifying the message had come directly from her.

Her decision to send such a personal thank you suggests the royal greatly appreciated her time touring the Oxford institutions.

Kate’s visit on Thursday emphasised how everyday moments of love and connection between parents and their young children lay the foundation for lifelong social and emotional skills.

It also came as Home-Start UK prepares to roll out training based on The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood Explainer Series to their 9000-strong network of volunteers across all local Home-Starts.

The Explainer Series films are a key part of Kate and the Centre’s work to demonstrate how building social and emotional skills in the earliest years is crucial for healthier, happier outcomes in adulthood and for nurturing a more compassionate, loving society.

Just hours before the engagement, the Princess of Wales released an essay warning that people's growing reliance on technology is "toxic to health" as she outlined the dangers of humans losing connections to each other.

Her essay was titled “The Power of Human Connection in a Distracted World” and published through the The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.

The essay offered a personal perspective from the Princess of Wales on why early childhood matters so deeply to her.

She argued that warm, loving and meaningful relationships are the single greatest investment one can make for health and happiness.

Kate also warned that modern life, as well as rising loneliness and fragmented attention, are undermining our ability to form those connections, putting at risk the social and emotional development of babies and young children.

She discussed her findings while visiting Home-Start, which is a national network of 175 local charities providing free, trusted, relational support for families in homes and communities across the UK.

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During the visit, Kate met with Home-Start Oxford’s volunteers and joined a training session where the volunteers viewed the films.

The Princess of Wales then joined a ‘Stay and Play’ session, where families connected with one another and accessed the support of skilled volunteers and staff, who are a key part of the Home-Start service.

These sessions offer a relaxed environment for families to build a network and engage with their children in a variety of activities, from dressing up and tea parties to making playdough and crafting.

Kate then had the opportunity to speak to parents who are being supported by Home-Start Oxford and hear about the challenges they are facing.