Kate Middletonled her first roundtable discussion with U.K. politicians on Thursday as she championed her royal work on early childhood development.

Kate, wholaunchedherRoyal Foundation Centre for Early Childhoodlast year, said in a statement, “Our experiences in early childhood fundamentally impact our whole life and set the foundation for how we go on to thrive as individuals, with one another, as a community and as a society.”

Kate Middleton.Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Catherine, Duchess Of Cambridge hosts a roundtable with Government ministers and the Early Years sector to mark the release of new research from the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood

Catherine, Duchess Of Cambridge hosts a roundtable with Government ministers and the Early Years sector to mark the release of new research from the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood

“If we come together to raise the importance of early childhood development, we’ll soon see that healthy, happy individuals make for a healthier, happier world, which is why every second we spend with a child, is an investment in our collective future.”

Kate Middleton at her roundtable on the Early Years.Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Catherine, Duchess Of Cambridge speaks as she hosts a roundtable with Government ministers and the Early Years sector to mark the release of new research from the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood

Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 05: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge hugs Prince Louis of Cambridge during the Platinum Pageant on June 05, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

“Although the majority of us agree that the experiences people have in childhood can have a significant impact on their future, a minority of Britons recognize the unique importance of the first five years of a child’s life,” said Kelly Beaver, chief executive of the polling company Ipsos UK.

Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles on the Buckingham Palace balcony on June 5.Samir Hussein/WireImage

Royal Family

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“These formative years are crucial in the emotional, social and physical development of every child and this critical new research, for The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, provides the opportunity for society to ignite a discussion about how parents and children can be better supported during this period.”

The topic of early childhood development is going to dominate much of Kate’s public work in the coming decades and her foundation, which is part of the Royal Foundation she shares with her husbandPrince William, is a marker of her long-term commitment.

source: people.com