In her first public speech for more than two years – and the
first since the announcement of her cancer diagnosis – the Princess
of Wales delivered a compelling message emphasising the value of
care, tenderness and early childhood development.
Speaking at the Future Workforce Summit in the City of London,
the Princess drew on deeply held beliefs rooted in her work with
the Centre for Early Childhood where she thanked those present for
their support.
Her remarks returned to a core theme: that the love experienced
in a child’s earliest years lives on.
She said: “The love we feel in our earliest years fundamentally
shapes who we become and how we thrive as adults.”
She explained that love is “the first and most essential bond”
and described how “it is also the invisible thread, woven with
time, attention and tenderness, through consistent, nurturing
relationships which creates the grounded and meaningful
environments around a child.”
The home, she added, should be “the space where love, safety and
rhythm enable a child to thrive.” And while home may be the first
environment, she pointed out that all of us live within
“ecosystems” – families, communities, workplaces – that shape us
just as powerfully. “Imagine a world where each of these
environments were built on valuing time and tenderness just as much
as productivity and success,” she told delegates.
Turning to the role of business leaders in particular, the
Princess did not shy away from calling for a cultural shift in the
workplace. She said: “As business leaders you will face the daily
challenge of finding the balance between profitability and having a
positive impact. But the two are not, and should not be
incompatible.”
Her challenge was anchored in the conviction that caring work –
often “quiet” and “invisible” – deserves recognition and respect.
“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.”
The event – held high in a London skyscraper, with the city laid
out like a model village – marked a significant step in the
Princess’s return to public life, nearly two years after she
revealed her cancer diagnosis and shared recorded messages of
recovery via social media. Her appearance underscores the
continuity of her advocacy: she established the Centre for Early
Childhood before her illness and is now renewing her public
role.
In her closing remarks, she reiterated the interconnectedness of
care and community: “Every act of care creates community because we
are all essentially weavers of the same fabric.” She spoke for all
those who care and love, saying: “Every child deserves respect and
safety, and everyone who cares deserve recognition and
appreciation.”
