'MY HOPES FOR ALL OUR KIDS'

CHILDREN'S CRUSADE | THE PRINCESS OF WALES SHARES HER DREAMS FOR A HAPPIER SOCIETY AS A TEAM OF CELEBRITIES SUPPORT HER CAMPAIGN

- NICOLA FAHEY

Flanked by a team of celebrities, the Princess of Wales launched her early years mission to change and mould children’s futures last week. It picked up pace at a glitzy reception at the BAFTA’s London HQ, where she outlined her campaign, Shaping Us, focusing on the first five years of a child’s life.

With the aid of high-profile figures, she hopes the long-term public awareness campaign will make a positive difference for generations to come. The mum-of-three said, “It is essential to not only understand the unique importance of our earliest years, but to know what we can all do to help raise future generations of happy, healthy adults.

“The campaign is fundamentally about shining a spotlight on the critical importance of early childhood and how it shapes the adults we become. During this time we lay the foundations and building blocks for life, and it is when we learn to understand ourselves, understand others and understand the world in which we live.”

Among her recruits is blogger and author Giovanna Fletcher, 38, whose welcomed the 41-year-old princess as a guest on a special episode of her Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast in 2020. In a sign of their friendship, Giovanna, the wife of McFly singer Tom Fletcher was seen embracing the princess – and flying in the face of royal protocol.