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.”
