We’ve often talked about the utter clownshow that is Kensington Palace, and I have to say, it’s gotten so much worse since William and Kate became the Prince and Princess of Wales. Like, I’m not a huge fan of Charles in general, but when Charles was POW, he worked. He had a million schemes, charities, events, foundations, etc. He stayed busy and it was never this amateurish exercise we’ve seen from Kensington Palace for more than a decade. It’s not entirely the fault of KP’s staff and advisors, because William and Kate are clearly two of the dumbest, laziest and most tone-deaf people in the world. They’re content to do busy work and burn through resources on their embiggening. They still think the model of “show up empty-handed and get photographed at foodbank” is the model which works. Nothing speaks to this more than Will and Kate’s two “signature” initiatives, Earthshot and the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. Well, we knew that Kate was going to announce some big new busy work for her Keenwell Institute, and here it is: a campaign called Shaping Us. The campaign’s mission is to spread awareness of the importance of early childhood. That’s it. That’s all. Kate “wrote” an open letter about it:
“This week, I am delighted to reveal The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood will launch a major new awareness raising campaign, highlighting the critical importance the first five years of our lives have on shaping the adults we become. During our very early childhood, our brains develop at an amazing rate – faster than any other time of our lives. Our experiences, relationships, and surroundings at that young age, shape the rest of our lives. It is a time where we lay the foundations and building blocks for life. It is when we learn to understand ourselves, understand others and understand the world in which we live.”
“But as a society, we currently spend much more of our time and energy on later life. I am absolutely determined that this long-term campaign is going to change that. It will start by highlighting how we develop during early childhood and why these years matter so much in terms of shaping who we become. I will be joined by a remarkable group of experts spanning science, research, policymaking and front-line practice as well as an exciting group of well-known faces from music, sport and television to show all of us why it is in all of our interests to care about this.”
“We all need to know the critical importance of our early childhood,” Kate said. “They really are years like no other in our lives. I urge everyone reading this to take the opportunity to learn more about this incredible time of life, to think back to your own childhood and how it shaped you, and most importantly, to ask yourselves what you can do to make the world a more supportive and loving place for our children. Because healthy, happy children shape a healthy, happy future.”
“But as a society, we currently spend much more of our time and energy on later life. I am absolutely determined that this long-term campaign is going to change that….” Do “we” spend “much more of our time and energy on later life”? Aren’t most child development specialists looking at, you know, all of childhood? I’ve always been disconcerted with Kate’s overwhelming message that if you have a f–ked up childhood under the age of five, there’s no hope for you. What happens to kids AFTER the age of five is pretty important too. It’s ALL important.
People Magazine also got some mind-numbingly stupid sh-t from the Kensington Palace clowns, with KP’s spokesperson saying: “The Princess has taken an active role in every stage of this campaign… the Princess really wants this campaign to bring about change in the way that we think about and see the importance of early years. This is very much the start. And I think this is very much going to be a key focus of her work way beyond next week. And I’m sure it will be a golden thread throughout her working life.” Wait, THIS is the start? Then what was she doing for twelve years? Wasn’t the Five Big Questions and the pie charts the start of something? And the “golden thread” – jesus h.
Of course there’s a keen new video too. The comments were… rough. But the whole thing is kind of insane? Literally going through a photo album and flashing Big Blue???
Our early childhood shapes the rest of our lives.#ShapingUs – coming soon with The Centre for @Earlychildhood pic.twitter.com/jM7nJS5xhX
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) January 28, 2023
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.
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- Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales talks with experts from across academia, science and the early years sector, at Windsor Castle in Windsor on January 25, 2023. – The Advisory Group has been created to offer strategic advice to The Princess of Wales and provide oversight of the work of her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.,Image: 751670526, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: DANIEL LEAL / Avalon
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- Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales talks with experts from across academia, science and the early years sector, at Windsor Castle in Windsor on January 25, 2023. – The Advisory Group has been created to offer strategic advice to The Princess of Wales and provide oversight of the work of her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.,Image: 751680733, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: DANIEL LEAL / Avalon
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- Reading, UNITED KINGDOM – The Princess of Wales visits the Reading Ukrainian Community Centre to meet displaced Ukrainian families and hear about the support the Centre is providing to those arriving in the UK as a result of the conflict in Ukraine, in Reading, Berkshire. Pictured: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton BACKGRID USA 17 NOVEMBER 2022 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Liverpool, UNITED KINGDOM – William, Prince, and Catherine, Princess of Wales visit the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital, which opened its doors in October 2022, replacing the old hospital which had served the community for over four decades. Princess of Wales Wears: Coat – Holland and Cooper Dress – Cefinn Bag – Mulberry Shoes – Gianvito Rossi Pictured: William, Prince and Catherine, Princess of Wales BACKGRID USA 12 JANUARY 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Liverpool, UNITED KINGDOM – The Prince and Princess of Wales officially open the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital in Liverpool, Merseyside, UK. Pictured: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince of Wales BACKGRID USA 12 JANUARY 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- East Moseley, UNITED KINGDOM – The Princess of Wales hosts a reception for the England Wheelchair Rugby League team in recognition of their success at the recent Rugby League World Cup, at Hampton Court Palace, East Moseley, Surrey, UK, on the 19th of January 2023. Pictured: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton BACKGRID USA 19 JANUARY 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- East Moseley, UNITED KINGDOM – The Princess of Wales hosts a reception for the England Wheelchair Rugby League team in recognition of their success at the recent Rugby League World Cup, at Hampton Court Palace, East Moseley, Surrey, UK, on the 19th of January 2023. Pictured: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton BACKGRID USA 19 JANUARY 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- East Moseley, UNITED KINGDOM – The Princess of Wales hosts a reception for the England Wheelchair Rugby League team in recognition of their success at the recent Rugby League World Cup, at Hampton Court Palace, East Moseley, Surrey, UK, on the 19th of January 2023. Pictured: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton BACKGRID USA 19 JANUARY 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- East Moseley, UNITED KINGDOM – The Princess of Wales hosts a reception for the England Wheelchair Rugby League team in recognition of their success at the recent Rugby League World Cup, at Hampton Court Palace, East Moseley, Surrey, UK, on the 19th of January 2023. Pictured: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton BACKGRID USA 19 JANUARY 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- The Princess of Wales arrives for her visit to Foxcubs Nursery in Luton, as part of her ongoing work to elevate the importance of early childhood to lifelong outcomes. Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Luton, England, United Kingdom When: 18 Jan 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
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- The Princess of Wales arrives for her visit to Foxcubs Nursery in Luton, as part of her ongoing work to elevate the importance of early childhood to lifelong outcomes. Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Luton, England, United Kingdom When: 18 Jan 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
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- The Princess of Wales arrives for her visit to Foxcubs Nursery in Luton, as part of her ongoing work to elevate the importance of early childhood to lifelong outcomes. Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Luton, England, United Kingdom When: 18 Jan 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
In her defence (hear me out) last week she was discussing (mumbling) about ‘how to keep the conversation going’ on this topic. Given that the conversation is very much happening with all the experts who work in this field, vast majority of parents, and a whole lot of others in the orbit of under-fives I think we can say job done?
Time for a vacation for Katie Keen methinks.
On a serious note, SERIOUSLY??? You have got to be kidding me that anyone is hyping this with a straight face. I guess the only grain of joy is imagining the reactions of all the rota who now have to sell this as though it’s something genuinely impactful.
Maybe at this point the problem is with us for having any expectations of her at all. Hasn’t she been campaigning for years now? I could have sworn that that is why she made all these visits to all sorts of charities. So what makes this campaign so different?
@Chloe, I’m embarrassed to say that this time, I actually believed that she’d definitely something more concrete to offer. I thought that her team would want to show specific results from this initiative as to distract from Harry’s memoir etc. But, alas once again I was completely off the mark… for more than 5 years they reproduce the same word salads about early years using different slogans (broken Britain, big begins small or something similar etc.) to gain positive headlines for her and that’s it… pure PR…it’s really frustrating and disappointing because she could make a difference with a much simpler initiative without being political by emphasizing, for example, the importance of sports for children and organising some sort of games for them once or twice for them… so, you’re right…no more expectations 😔
Why only the first 5 years?!?
Is that to say – ok I can hand them off to a boarding school now. I’ve done everything I could.
Life is important. Childhood lays the foundation for a lot of things. But not everything. Not nearly everything. because the teenage years and really the rest of your life – is about growing into the best human you can be. And unlearning things you were taught as a child. And learning to accept yourself and love yourself while still understanding you have many ways ti grow. Sigh.
So, I guess at the age of 5 yrs. and 1 day, if those *first* 5 yrs. weren’t great, you’re basically SOL for the rest of your life, Keen Katie? You should just give up and life the rest of your life in despair?
I just have no words for the stupidity of this statement.
Yes, the first 5 yrs. *do* shape us in a lot of ways. Kids do learn like sponges. *HOWEVER*, the next 5 yrs. are important too. As are the teen yrs. As are your 20s. You are growing, changing, learning ALL this time. You *can* unlearn “bad habits/behaviors* and learn better coping skills. You can get the help of a good teacher/therapist/doctor/mentor… all of these people can help “shape” you as well.
I think Keen didn’t have a great first 5 yrs… she obviously was shaped to only do/want one thing, as we know.
Question for British Celebitches: re: this “conversation” that Kate has been going on and on about for years— does ANYONE actually talk about this/her?? I feel like the entire target audience for her BS is the readership of the DM, hard-core royalists, and Kate fans online (who like her because she’s skinny and has pretty hair and wears lots of new clothes). Oh, and people like us, who read it purely for gossipy reasons, lol.
Is any normal citizen of the UK paying the least bit of attention to any of this? If Kate’s going to waste her time on this nonsense, it makes the most sense that she should be trying to get this message out to pregnant women. By the time she visits these kids for her photo ops, their “early years” are almost if not completely over with.
Is this a topic that any regular British person would bring up when talking to a friend? Kate seems to think her job is to “continue the conversation” that apparently she thinks she’s sparked nationwide, but I find it hard to believe that anyone besides people like us who follow these idiots even know what she’s doing.
W&K only seem to make it into the general public consciousness when they do something so egregious that EVERYONE on Twitter stops to drag or laugh at them, even people who generally pay zero attention to the BRF. The Caribbean tour, Kate’s green screen dress, etc. And people always pay attention when William’s cheating come up.
But could a single random person on the street name Kate’s “lifetime signature passion initiative?”
I’m sorry but, if the first 5 years is indeed important, then perhaps Kate should look into her own three kids, especially Louis.
Start with your own family first Kate before putting out this performance.
Or, perhaps, she is being really fcuking rude, bringing up the hormones of people in their first five years?
This is my professional field and I can confirm what Kate says – the first five years are absolutely critical in informing outcomes later in life, particularly with regard to language development. Statistics show that children with poor language development aged 5 will never catch their peers up and achieve less well at GCSE and beyond into adult life. Language development is crucial in breaking cycles of deprivation within families. Children need to be exposed to quality talk within rich language environments where they have opportunities to learn and scaffold new vocabulary with family members, peers and skilled practitioners.
That said, she hasn’t specifically drilled down into this yet and she needs to get some punchy stats out there to substantiate what she’s saying. Because the research is staggering. Until she publicises this, it’s just pointless and people are no better informed than they were before. Hurry up and do something specific on this Kate!!
I am also a professional in the Early Childhood sector and I do think that discussing this is super important. I live in a province in Canada with a conservative government and getting people in our society in general to recognize the importance of the early years AND fund it is like pulling teeth.
I hope that this initiative or whatever she is doing is backed up with funding and investment into programs for children and mothers. It has the potential to be incredibly impactful but going no further than this will be a waste.
I feel like Diana was passionate about working with children, so Kate wants to cosplay that too (it’s not just wardrobe), but she actually doesn’t have a huge passion for it so it falls flat.
For several years I worked with early childhood teachers, and there is no question that the first five years are vitally important.
BUT the issue I have with this campaign is that it focuses only on awareness. Plenty of people are aware that early childhood experiences are important, and simply don’t have the resources to provide the best care for their children. Campaigning for subsidized childcare, an expansion of food benefits for families with young children, more afterschool programs, and better support for young parents — now THOSE are things worth doing.
But this is like “raising awareness” that eating a good amount of fresh fruits and vegetables is important. People know that. Many people can’t afford that, and/or don’t have easy access to that in their neighborhoods. That’s the issue. “Awareness” ignores the larger context.
Finally, that the British royal family is talking about the importance of the first five years of life when it’s being revealed day by day how toxic growing up in that family is — what a lack of self-awareness.
Same club, @Aidevee and @Grey, but if you are trying to hurry Kate up to do something specific, you may have to wait another 10 years. If you follow what she’s been saying, it’s the same phrases, platitudes and remarks over and over again. This letter is the same as her editorial is the same as her comments at every round table discussion: early years are important and we need to bring awareness to that, and I won’t stop emphasizing just how important they are. There have never been specifics, examples or variables of what can hinder or aide developmental growth during this crucially formative period. Somehow they think parroting the most basic line is the cause, message, and solution. @Aidevee, everything you say is right, but even you know you’ve said more in one comment than the “princess” has in the past 10 years.
She’s not wrong. Interventions for autism are demonstrably more effective the earlier they start. It’s a crucial developmental window and some kids never catch up from what they miss out on. What she’s saying isn’t objectionable. It’s not terribly impactful either but maybe it’ll reach a few who otherwise would have tuned the message out. If I had any faith that she’d actually do anything with the subject then I’d be cheering for this effort in spite of everything, but I’m afraid she’s going to suck up all the oxygen at the expense of real experts and policy debate. Knowing the political leanings of the Wales’ staff, that may actually be the intention.
No one needs to be told the first five years are important. It’s basic knowledge unless you live under a rock. What is needed is programs to help kids reach their potential. She is wasting everyone’s time with awareness and nothing to provide actual help. That is because providing help is a government responsibility which is often supplemented by grassroots programs and these involve actual work. She will never do that actual work.
In the God’s name, what has happened to this woman in her first 5 years of life?!?!?!
@malinn Was coming to say this very thing. Doesn’t say much for Carole and/or Mike if this colossal cock-up of an individual is what came of those Early Years. 🙄
Ditto, my exact thought was she must have been left completely alone in a dark room for her first five years. She thinks she’s fitting in with the socialized humans.
“The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood will launch a major new awareness raising campaign”
I thought the whole Centre was, itself, an awareness campaign? So she “founded” the center to raise awareness, and they accomplish that by having an awareness campaign? So will the “work” of the awareness campaign consist of founding an organization to raise awareness? And then that organization will launch an awareness campaign? My point in, her “we need to raise awareness” is just talking in circles.
It should have a hyphen as in awareness-raising, which sounds awkward anyway. This is so poorly written. It’s extremely repetitive. I believe she did write it with zero help. Bravo, her work is done! Without professionals heading this up, it will just be an empty shell, for her website only. Just like her…. and even the shell is cracking.
It’s the royal equivalent of the Simpsons “C. Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence.” On first glance it sounds impressive, but it actually says nothing at all.
Hopefully she will direct people to this organizations work too.
https://www.smallstepsbigchanges.org.uk/
“They really are years like no other in our lives.”
Groundbreaking.
Are they not embarrassed? At all?
What shapes us?
The early years shapes who we become. BANG. That’s all you actually need to know. The video, a reminder of typewriting-Willie resumes it ALL. Campaign completed. Well done. This one even learned from Burgerking earthsh!t: she had so much fun at the celebrity show event, that’s she’s now incorporating music, sports, tv celebrities to make her golden thread initiative not boring. Because they are hot cakes too like meg & harry, they can be celebrity magnets. And they know Tom.
That video, that video! OMG, it’s so bad. Hundreds of teens & twenty-somethings put out way better content than that on their socials every day.
I saw the video last night and was *losing it*. I guess it was only a matter of time before Kate decided “Scrapbooking! Lots of peasants do that, right? I’ll make a video of a (fake) scrapbook!”
The video is pathetic. Did anyone get paid for producing that?
Somebody tell Captain Obvious (a/k/a Wiglet McButtons) that her comment on any subject are irrelevant, immaterial, and just plain stupid.
Wait so this is it? This is the big announcement? I thought that video was just a teaser. You the announcement before the announcement. So be big big news is that she’s going to campaign? Hasn’t she done that for years at this point? What does this campaign entail?
I’m under the impression that there is something more happening today/tonight Monday. Kate was mumbling about how excited she was for Monday night in her Big 8 Roundtable. Maybe the official press release or another official video introducing the celebrity friends who were roped into mumbling some version of the Arly Years Are Important. My guesses for the celebs: David Beckham, David Attenborough, Ed Sheeran, Mary Berry, Judy Dench, Jeremy Clarkson.
Wait!!! Isn’t today Monday?!? What’s today?
This video came out over the weekend. So based on all her chatter about Monday, I’m thinking maybe there will be another drop today?
I hope there is a second video because if what was offered is a standalone I am completely dumbfounded. It is incredibly bad- production, message (was there one!
?), and everything else. I don’t get it. Am I somewhere between annoyed and slightly offended that they used a Black person in the opening? Yes, yes I am.
@ Harper, may I just state, since I have now recovered from my jaw being unhinged at her stupidity, that the reason that KKKHate is incorporating celebrities is because she wants to be seen just as famous and well connected as Meghan???Since she hasn’t created any lasting relationships with famous celebrities on her own, not that anyone would want to hitch their wagon to her, this is simply a campaign on her part to cajole these people into her “campaign of Early Years of Potential Doom within the First Five Years”.
Shouldn’t KKKHate bring in those that have done the actual work and have the credentials to speak on her campaign??? If I was looking for recommendations for early childhood development, I would want to hear from the experts and certainly not celebrities….. I am certain that Pippa would lend a helping hand though KKKHate would probably knock her off of the stage for “stealing” her thunder. I guess if she has celebrities cajoled into her scheme, KKKHate can comment of her details of research and hypotheses with regards to this stupid and ignorant campaign.
@Chloe, please do keep up. The campaign clearly involves “raising awareness” and “continuing the conversation.” Forever.
Campaigning Catherine. It reminds me of Trump and how after 2 years of rallies and campaigning for president, once he was president he started campaigning and doing rallies for the next election 4 years away.
Perfect. example.
British Royal Family: I try to stay away from these morons , but they keep coming up with more moronic things to do and say. It is astounding. I sometimes wonder how they are able to walk and talk at the same time? they are so stupid.
KKKate manages to both state the obvious- eraly childhood is an importnat step on a person´s development- and reach a disgusting implication that if somehow you cant offer your child all the things SHE considers to be of great importance in their first five years, that you are dooming your child to a life of misery.
When she first spouted this nonsense poor loving parents felt even more guilty about mental health problems in their children.
My thoughts exactly – please put more pressure on partners who are already bombarded with thousands of thing your child should have/activities you should offer on daily basis etc for proper development, with underlying message that otherwise you will screw up your child forever. So now hurry up parents, you only have a couple of years before it’s too late! Because feeding your child, keeping a roof over your family’s head, having access to good schools, and healthcare – where most partner struggle to keep up – this won’t even pass through her mind because everyone has grounds around family’s mansions and hospitals will close wings to admit your little darling with stomach bug, right??
And has she posted even one link on what the hell should we do then to support those early years? Any websites with experts advice? Or just keeping in mind it’s important is enough and she considers her job done? I can’t stand her, really.
Yes, her job is done. ‘Raising awareness’ is the point of all this; i.e., keeping her face & name in the papers.
That’s what I really don’t understand at all about her “big campaign” on early childhood. I mean, people aren’t failing to meet all of their young children’s developmental needs because they don’t think it’s important. Being a parent to young children is HARD and many people don’t have the financial, social or emotional resources to be everything all of the time for a small human. So what are we actually DOING to make that achievable for more people? What are the community resources offering parenting support, low cost or free daycare with appropriately trained staff, access to books, green spaces and developmentally appropriate toys/tools for young children? Can we talk about hormones yet? Postpartum depression? I just don’t get it at all.
MTE!!! What is she DOING?! What is the foundation actually DOING?! Are they just doling out advice from their ivory tower? They get all of these experts to tell them what the ideal parent should be doing and then they yell down at us peasants through their mega phones about it? I don’t get it!! There needs to be accessibility to resources, that’s where the real problems lie but the royals absolutely do not want to touch that. Does the foundation do actual work, do they contribute to anything other than Kate’s PowerPoint presentations and her binder of notes, or do they just hold luncheons and give Kate tiny notebooks to carry around??? It’s enough to make you scream into the void!
Lee, yes early years are important and as you said hard. But please don’t expect princess wiglet to even try and understand what regular people go through. Like redundancy, cost of living, trying to keep their children warm and well fed at the same time. The death of a parent. The loss of your home because your landlord sells the house. She has the choice of 4 homes, she has nannies and access to a massive fortune along with cooks and cleaners. This is just another example of how far she is from bloody reality. And NO Khate, not just the first 5 years is important, every year is right up until your children leave home to live their own lives, but a parent always keeps the love alive and door open for them. And sorry Khate, but this study was conducted by Durham University YEARS AGO so once again your lacking an original thought, or was this just another attempt to have a lot of celebrities around you, just like your husbands Earthshot sht. Leave this to the experts please
There is such a huge fundamental communications breakdown happening here that I can’t wrap my head around it. It’s easy to say they and their team are not the best at this, but how did it get SO BAD?
I know we see signs of problems if we look back but it still feels like something has changed or shifted and we’re past a tipping point here and I’m professionally curious what or who happened to these two people and their coms team.
I just … I’m deeply intrigued here because even if Will and Kate are super horrible, they’re super privileged and insulated and have a team of people to polish their public image and … this is the result?
There’s so many people who a good coms team can prop up to be reasonably presentable and there’s some people who are downright horrible but a good team makes them come across amazing (until they praise Adolf on air or someone leaks them calling people ‘sugar t*ts’ etc.).
And this is … such an opposite situation, where two people who seem to start with every advantage seem to almost systematically self sabotage.
In COMS 101 you have a sender, a message, a medium and a receiver. As a coms major, I keep looking for where the process broke down so completely that it seems like everyone in Will and Kate’s office is utterly disconnected from the people the Britains they claim to be representing / talking to. Especially because every once in a while there’s a glimmer that communication IS getting through SOMEWHERE – eg Will meeting w Earthshot winners after criticism for not having them there in Boston.)
Even if they were fully disconnected it seems like every once in a while they’d get something right, like a broken clock twice a day.
Is it interference? Trolling? Is it that we’re so far into process breakdown that it can’t be hidden / absolutely no one competent will be go near them? (See Quinn’s quiet but prompt departure, etc.)
Is this ultimate hubris?
Is someone trying to expose them?
With seemingly everything setting them up for success HOW ARE THEY SO BAD AT THIS?
With Kate, there is no “THERE” there. She is empty, hollow, entirely bereft of true caring or intellect.
In answer to your question, the issue is that there is no message; there is a sender, a medium, and receiver, but no actual message. This is not a comms issue, and cannot be managed by comms people; this is a policy issue. Willy and Kate are such hollow creatures that they cannot hide the fact. Hiring policy people to think for them, to give them the passion and caring they lack, is no solution.
They underscore the pointlessness of the monarchy. All they can do is dress up and act important; a very thin gruel.
@Smlstrs, this is such an interesting comment and I wonder (pointlessly) every damn day “HOW are they so bad at this?” because it’s hard not to, when faced with articles like this one. But when it comes to W&K, I really think they’ve been bad at it forever. Because they don’t care and they never have.
Ever since they got married and included Kate in the foundation, they’ve been a mess. They’ve done next to nothing, they’ve always hired total lightweights, and there’s always been internal drama within their office staff. (Everything meaningful that Harry did when he shared an office with them was done on his own, not in conjunction with KP or under the umbrella of the foundation, which says a lot.)
Plus, I don’t think they ever hired anyone with the intention of listening to their advice or planning a serious workload, they did it because they had to, in order to make it look like they have a busy (lol), functioning office that supported all of their “work.” And they seemed content with this for a long time— they’d show up someplace, say something stupid, get their photos taken, and leave within 45 minutes. Anything Kate did was pretty much guaranteed to make it onto the front pages of the rags. Until Meghan came along.
IMO things got WAY worse in 2017, because once they saw what Meghan could do, they decided that they, too, needed “big,” splashy initiatives. Never mind that neither one of them naturally think that way, or truly care about anything besides themselves. That’s when we first heard that Kate’s passion in life was the early years, followed by Earthshot. And both of those have been total shitshows.
But they never had a smoothly running, capable office staff, nor did they ever have competent PR or any sort of coherent message. It’s been a mess of patchwork engagements here and there since day one back in 2011. Honestly, the thing they seem to have worked hardest and most consistently at is making sure the public never expects too much of them, I’m not even kidding. It seems that Kate used to do more “sporty” events, but I guess those aren’t intellectual enough to go with her new persona as an academic (I can’t believe I typed that with a straight face).
As far as I can see, the only areas they’ve been remotely consistent in are yachting-related engagements (🙄), movie premieres/set visits, and sporting events such as Wimbledon and rugby finals or whatever. They show up at the BAFTAs sometimes, when they feel like it. Then they do a bunch of random engagements toward the end of the year, in a blind panic to increase their CC numbers.
Seems like they’d benefit from you taking over their communications team, but they don’t deserve it and imo they’re beyond help at this point. They’ve become laughingstocks on the world stage, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. IDK if or how how they *could* change it even if they tried. They’ve shown who they are for more than a decade, and they’ll never be taken seriously.
@SMLSTRS, I truly believe that their team, composed mostly of Tories, don’t want any specific results in order to avoid criticism for the government and its failures. The whole campaign of early years “awareness ” is based on oneself, on the idea that people/citizens are the ones that have to try and ameliorate their own lives and solve their problems on their own and not to expect anything from the government or other kind of establishments. They are the only ones responsible, according to them. Combine this notion with kate’s and William’s laziness, indifference and entitlement and we have the answer to your question: they are so bad at this because it’s the way they want it… their whole purpose is the gaslighting of the public’s opinion, thus their lack of any real and practical initiative.
@smlstrs – the only competent person I remember on Kate’s staff at KP was Catherine Quinn, who was Kate’s private secretary from 2017-2019. I have a vague recollection that she was placed/encouraged to join Kate’s staff by KC or TQ, but could be completely wrong. And other people may remember more about past history than I do.
In any event, Quinn had been connected with Oxford’s business school, among other things; in other words, someone with significant qualifications. In fact, she’s the one who put together the idea of the early years as a focus for Kate. And the main reason it was important to come up with something concrete for Kate was – Meghan had joined the family shortly before, and was about to announce her first initiative, the Together cookbook. So, Kate’s own “big initiative” was announced just a few days before. On purpose, of course, to steal some of Meghan’s thunder. It’s not that Kate had any real passion for early years, or anything else, then, or now; but presumably it was something feasible for her as a mother of young children. Kate certainly didn’t know enough to even try to talk competently about anything else.
I’ve lost track of the timeframe, so don’t know if Quinn had any involvement in putting together the idiotic “Five Question” survey project from a few years ago. What’s notable though, is that Quinn was gone from Kate and KP in two years, apparently just as soon as her contract was up, notably, and ironically, saying she was leaving to do work “in the charitable sector.”
The early years initiative has hung on as Kate’s signature, for any number of reasons, including, she’s too lazy to try and come up with something else, and again, she isn’t interested in anything outside of herself, anyway. Also possible there’s an element of competition with her sister Pippa, who went back to school for actual qualifications in the field.
In any event, it sounds like KP as a whole is a den of poorly paid staff that includes a bunch of equally lazy aristo hangers on; that Kate and especially Will are poor leaders who don’t spend much time around the office anyway because they really don’t want to work; and then, there’s the cagey political operators with their own agendas who have cycled through (Simon Case), and the outright slime embedded for multiple years (Jason Knauf). Boils down to, chances are good they can’t get competent people to work for them anymore, and neither Kate nor Will listen to them anyway. And we’ve been seeing the results.
“the Princess really wants this campaign to bring about change in the way that we think about and see the importance of early years.”
Translation: this campaign isn’t actually going to do anything for children in their early years. It’s just going to shape how people think by, you know, telling them the obvious: that early years are important.
Nobody needs to change how people see the early years. What needs change is how some children are treated during the early years. Many need food, proper healthcare/nutrition, access to clean water, basic living supplies, adequate and affordable housing and heat/air, stable lives free of poverty and addiction issues, quality education and decent clothing, etc.
This early years initiative isn’t doing squat to deal with any of that.
You took the words right out of my mouth! I wish this campaign was actually about something concrete and more specific than “making us care.”
It just seems like busy work for Kate, nothing else. This is about her making other parents feel guilty for not being good enough or whatever. She knows early years are important, DO YOU?!?!?
It’s just such a waste of a platform.
How about she study the effects of food and housing insecurity on brain development?! The evidence and data is all around her and her experts. This whole thing just makes me incandescent.
Better yet, forget studies. Just do stuff to help kids. You know kids live with food insecurity… work on getting food donated. You know heating bills are high for parents and kids will suffer… work on helping out with energy costs.
Leave academia in academia and make a practical difference.
@rapunzel you took the words out of my mouth. I don’t know why she’s so desperate to pretend that she reinvented the wheel.
She isn’t an academic and that is okay. But there are some real problems British families are facing right which will mostly impact the young kids. The rising cost of living and food insecurity. And if these are topics are too heated for her she can always do something else. Education through sports. Or do something about the declining literacy rate. Isn’t she also the patron of the girl scouts? She could do something with that. Make children learn live skills through some sort of collaboration project with them.
I mean, sure, yes if they were actually interested in doing something and not just publicity. They have access to all sorts of experts so it is not like they don’t have any ideas(or can’t learn) what discussions are needed, what actions should be taken, etc. However, this is simply about self promotion.
But what I can’t get over is how dumb and unprofessional this whole thing is. I mean, that video is soooooo basic and ridiculous. Even as a simple PR campaign, this thing falls on its face. I mean, even the positioning is trash because even though KP won’t wade into politics it is openly acknowledged Britain is in crisis so why not position the campaign to focus on what we know about early years under these types of conditions- especially food insecurity??? They could have tied it in the flop food bank visit and as many people here have already discussed it donated products from the dutchy’s line
The study of early years development was done years ago by Durham and University. The University of has dons that have studied the effect of early years, they also had consultants from hospitals, GP’s, social services, kindergarden and midwives. What they DIDN’T have was a load of celebs sitting around to make princess wiglet look as if she is so popular and so in the know, (which she is not). Someone asked if there was a genuine Brit on here, well here I am, living in cornwall and laughingly my head off at the sht Princess wiglet and her crew come out with
First, we have to identify who doesn’t already know this.
That should take years. It will be tough to find anyone.
@Tom yes! It could easily take another 5 years to locate people that don’t already know this. Perhaps that could be a separate “campaign”?
I was thinking this might be quite the surprise for people who sprouted from the womb as full grown adults. Skipping over early childhood definitely robs one of an important developmental stage.
You know, somehow I don’t think Kate understands any of this.
I don’t think she does either. She’s so entrenched in privilege that she’s not capable of understanding or empathizing with the struggles that families are facing.
Agree @Repunzel, her “campaign” refuses to dive deeper to the true causes of shitty childhoods— lack of childcare, a decline of teachers due to shitty wages, parental leave, poverty, etc. She could actually advocate for real causes and provide solutions, but I guess those issues are too “political”.
@FC, great points re: importance of early years vs lack of qualified early education instructors and rock bottom pay. That’s one of the main reasons why I chose to be a SAHM (and I recognize that having that choice alone is a huge privilege) than continue to work as a primary educator. And to clarify, I have a MA in education and am a certified Montessori teacher. Would my job pay more than hiring a full time nanny or sending both my young kids to a private Montessori school (we would not qualify for government programs)? My husband and my cost-benefit analysis says no, although eventually when my youngest turns 3, everyone will go to school because we know it is hugely beneficial for their social and academic development.
At the risk of KP running with another free idea that’s meaningful and will make them look good, I’ll bite too: Kate has visited programs for pregnant women, infants, young toddlers, and designed that outdoor playground one year. Most people have already made great suggestions for helping children who don’t have their basic, physical needs met, but she can take it a step further. If she’s so darn set on being an academic, bring in the child development data and highlight exactly what needs are being met with the various programs—pregnant mothers are being supported because development, bonding and language begins in utero; having adequate rest and a reliable community help alleviate prenatal anxieties and stresses, which can adversely affect the baby’s growth. Infants need to be held, talked to, and fed in order to form healthy attachments and emotional bonds—this center provides that for these women. Toddlers need hands-on learning, stimuli and working with natural materials—the great outdoors offer endless opportunities for kinetic learning, and promote skills of movement, coordination, and scientific observation…etc
Like it’s really not that hard to tie in all these wonderful charities together to highlight the importance of her “cause”? Or use the information she gleaned from all that in-person learning to draw the line from research to application? And yes, as everyone here is saying: having your basic needs met is crucial for executive brain function, make the link between the research to the food bank!
If you’re learning Kate, please listen: treasure trove of advice here, from everyone to someone with your platform and resources. You’re welcome.
Seriously. The UK government keeps trying to take away school lunches. What about campaigning for lunches AND breakfast? What about food for kids over the holidays? What about campaigning to make daycare affordable? What about doing anything substantive? We’re all aware. Now we need commitment from those in power to do something. Oh wait. The Royals aren’t supposed to be political. Guess we’re stuck with Kate raising awareness.
YES RAPUNZEL!
Basically this is shaming parents who need to work or who can’t afford all those things for their children even though they are trying their hardest. Maybe she should work on a network of societal safety nets at each of these important junctures that you mentioned to make sure that, you know, “no child is left behind”. But actually no child going without the resources they need to grow and develop so that their parents don’t have the immense burden of working and worrying non stop about the things their children need would truly benefit all of society. Because you know. The children are our future. But they won’t be tories if they are educated and their lives are enhanced and they benefit from governmental aid. Which is truly the point of a government. To take care of its people.
Whatever. I’m over here in the USA where Florida schools no longer have books in their classrooms becayee teachers can be jailed for having the “wrong” book in their classroom. So f it all.
I can’t believe (well, I can, but you get my point …) that no one on her comms teams thought ahead about how this skirts dangerously close to making a political stance. All the real issues that affect early years are political issues — affordable daycare, social programs that support low-income families, etc.
This “campaign” will never make any kind of substantial impact — aside from the obvious reasons — because the solutions require government policy changes and royal protocol dictates that the BF can’t be seen being political. (*which they do all the time behind the scenes, insert eyeroll*)
How can she keep starting the same campaign over and over? What is different about this announcement than others? All she does is announce stuff.
I’ve said it before but it’s truly giving Groundhog’s Day vibes.
Exactly! This is the same wording around their Heads Together campaign, which they appear to have abandoned all together.
I was thinking the same thing! How is this any different? Maybe they would have more money for more working royal family members if they didn’t waste money on garbage like this. Looking forward to her launching this again next year. I wonder what she will call it next???
This is just getting offensive. Paid royal making her life’s work about saying inane statements like the early years are important. No shit, Sherlock. Comments were brutal. It’s so bad and cringey. The need to put a bow on this and move on. It’s reaching levels of absurdity.
Preach, Jais. She should cut her losses and move on. But she won’t, because she has absolutely nothing else in her life.
Oh dear. Keen is talking about bringing celebrities into this. Keen is very patronizing
Yes, because celebrities are going to be so relatable to the people struggling to feed, clothe and house their children … to the parents who are already trying their hardest to shield their little ones from the adverse children experiences (poverty, hunger, etc.) that shape their developing brains.
This is so freaking EMBARRASSING. How are they not embarrassed???? Was Kate’s own ability to feel embarrassment stunted in her early years?
I thought the big five questions were posed to raise awareness? Did they not work? Is there someone out there that does not know early childhood impacts a person? Is this entire campaign for that one person who does not know? 🙄
Is this a chance to plan an event and meet celebrities, much like Earthshot?
Given the situation with Harry, when I read her letter the only thing that came to mind was she doesn’t believe anything of what she wrote.
Yup. She certainly didn’t GAF about Archie’s early childhood when she was helping make his mother suicidal.
She doesn’t understand what she wrote.
You actually believe that she was the one who wrote it? The woman who struggles to talk about the weather and who just repeats the comments made by her team? No way… the whole campaign is organized and recorded by her team so that she can keep the headlines without actually working. She’s probably already packed to mystique.
So what’s different? Isn’t raising awareness the point of the foundation?
I’m calling it now – 2023 is going to be the year when Kate is really keen, Y’all! Really, really keen. I’m calling it now.
By the end of 2023, every Brit will be able to respond “yes” when asked, “Are the first five years of life important?”
She works SO HARD, you guys. I wish she’d take more vacations.
(LOL)
Okay, that video is 🤣🤣🤣🤣 (full disclosure, I don’t ever turn on audio with KKKHate’s videos, so maybe I missed something significant LOL). Bold of her to subject her handwriting to the inevitable comparisons.
This useless person is just embarrassing at this point. “Golden thread???!!!” FFS
The video has to be the most embarrassing thing I have seen in a long time….This is just insulting to the public to think we don’t know that early years are.important…really?
I am aghast at that video. I had horrible second-hand embarrassment watching it, then outrage that so many people are out there doing amazing philanthropical work for peanuts while these two…
And of course they had to have a picture of a black man on the first page.
I can’t with them. Talk about a waste of space, oxygen, and tax dollars.
For a video about early childhood first image is a grown man. A black man? What in the fresh hell? And don’t get me started on handwriting
Racist.’ Black folks = bad early years = problem adults
Are those her hands? Why do they look so eerily smooth? Because someone younger did the video for her or filtered hands? And all ages of childhood and adulthood shape the rest of our lives.
Healthy happy children shape a healthy happy future. Yet keen and bill did not bring food to a food bank. Kate needs to get over herself.
I’m embarrassed for them.
They really were right to be frightened of the Duchess of Sussex.
A woman who accomplishes real things. Actually helps the charities she’s assigned to in a real way. Completes projects that bring in donations? Actually *gasp* links the donation website to her Instagram – credit for appearing page?
How can they possibly be this bad at their only actual job???
The start of something?!?? She’s over 40 with 3 kids.
Worthless – she’s a public hanger for clothes and stolen jewels.
Meanwhile, children under 5 (and older than 5 too) are going hungry in her own backyard, but it’s crickets from this moron.
“Let them eat crickets!”
-Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge and Cornwall, the Princess of Wales, the future Queen Consort of Great Britain, probably.
As a teacher I get that experiences in early childhood are important but also the way she is framing it, it’s like it’s the only important time and like parents aren’t already spending an inordinate amount of time trying to set kids up for the best. As someone on social media we are bombarded with tonnes and tonnes of information about how to set little ones up for success from activities/experiences/parenting styles/food ect.
What’s the difference is many don’t have access to food/activities/experience/needs to set themselves up, especially right now during our current economic times.
No one doubts that the early years are important but what she should be doing is providing support for those who cannot access experiences or their needs during the early years.
Absolute fail and an utter waste of resources that could go to funding a sports program/art program/essentials program for children and their families.
Kate Duchess of Dull & Doolittle continues as the Passionless & Pointless Princess
Agreed. Everyone knows about the rapid development that takes place during that period. It’s like she just read The Absorbant Mind by Maria Montessori and is passing off the preface as her letter. Every country tries to have an early childhood program to level the academic playing field for children while providing food and affordable childcare. THESE are the programs that need FUNDING and AWARENESS. Is the conversation she hopes we keep having one which involves how NAKED this empress is? Is she trying to bring awareness to the fact that:
Broken Britain = Early Years = Shaping Us = Useless
I can only hope and assume that her people will eventually talk about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and so forth someplace down the line.
This brings me back to the documentary, The Me You Can’t See. I hope Harry will revisit that. It was great. I feel he’s lost momentum with that. Put another way, I wanted him and the team to do some initiatives around that. I wanted it to be more than a one-off project. Hopefully, there is more to come.
I keep saying this. I keep waiting to hear Duchess Keen talk about ACEs and the actual obstacles to healthy brain development — and what needs to be done to keep children from experiencing these toxic experiences. It’s all platitudes from her.
The comments below her little video were absolutely brutal – like yes, childhood typically comes before adulthood. I was also interested to see lots of early childhood educators asking why the Tory government had not funded “Sure Start” (basically the U.K. version of Head Start) and asking for details about how to access support or funds from the foundation.
I don’t think anyone disputes the impact of the early years, but what holds many children back is not a lack of awareness of it’s importance. It’s things like food insecurity, homelessness, and poverty. The families who rely on the food bank the Keens toured last week don’t need another awareness campaign, they need their most basic physiological needs met.
Yawn. Wake me up if she ever does/says anything vaguely interesting. Or interesting. Or even intelligent, although that’s unlikely.
She really is an imbecile. Not just dumb. Straight out f*cked in the head. She must’ve had some really bad early years.
And how many times in the course of ten sentences does she use a derivative of the word life? Like, eight and counting? I think she really did write this and refused to have a ghostwriter or editor because, you know, language skills don’t work for everyone. Gotta act like she’s above the need for grammatical and linguistic help.
This truly is one of the most offensive campaigns these clowns have ever hoodwinked the public with. I’m actively beginning to dislike them all—whereas before I just found them to be dangerously irritating sideshows.
“because, you know, language skills don’t work for everyone”
LOL
@ThatsNotOkay I laughed so hard at your first paragraph 🤣
It would be interesting to know how much funds and other resources have been channeled to Kate ‘s Early Years campaign through the years and the results achieved. Is there an annual report for the Royal Foundation for Early Childhood Center.
Using a single black male on the front page is an unfortunate stereotyping of the community?
Also in the midst of a cost of living crisis the timing of this awareness campaign which we are told took 12 years in the making, is most unfortunate
Imagine claiming to work on something for 12 YEARS and then releasing that video. I can’t. I’m so embarrassed for her, and for anyone who is forced to take part in this absolute farce.
No wonder they have constant staff turnover. I would be mortified to work in an office that puts out such embarrassing, amateurish nonsense. I wouldn’t want my name professionally tied to Kate and her “golden thread” in any way whatsoever.
Well, yes. But what is she actually going to do? Improve play facilities for kids in deprived areas? Access to books and developmental toys? Programs for museums/community facilities that improve access and facilities? Outreach to struggling families to actually give them the tools to parent more effectively? Raising awareness without actually doing anything to provide or pressure for practical solutions is pretty useless, especially with the current government. Charles is a bit of an odd duck but his trusts and foundations have done practical work on the ground that’s actually made a difference to the people who’ve been in the target group. This is wooly in the extreme.
Kate will never, ever get to the heart of early years because it’s too political (and she doesn’t care. She shows up to food banks empty handed and food insecurity is one of the many issues with early childhood) This campaign means nothing. It’s busy work until she becomes Queen Consort. That’s all.
Completely empty. Only to make it appear as if she has a cause. It’s all smoke and mirrors and good press. The princess has no clothes.
How is she still doing “awareness”?
Do something that HELPS THE PROBLEM YOU SEE BECAUSE AWARENESS AINT IT HOWEVER MANY YEARS IN.
They really don’t know what they are about , what she is doing a d what they intend to achieve. They just post some word salad , kate go out cos playing Meghan or Diana with a pen and notebook, laugh say some stupid shit and go home . And the bias media praise her to the heavens . She really is useless
There will be a big push to say that Kate has been working on and passionate about the Early Years for 10 years.
A reminder that she hasn’t. The Early Years thing was a brainwave from Catherine Quinn in 2018 because the palace decided that Kate needed to be seen to have A Big Project.
It’s bad enough for their PR say she’s been working on this for 10 years when she’s produced nothing. It’s worse that their PR are trying to scramble and retroactively pretend that she’s been working on this for much longer than she has.
Not only 2018, but the Friday before Meghan launched her cookbook project in fall 2018.
But really if she is still only working on awareness after all this time, she hasn’t done a good job of it if she still has to pretend people are not aware that the first five years of life are important.
How do these people — professionals, I assume — not realize that it looks SO MUCH WORSE to tell people that this is the result of more than a decade of work?
My brain short-circuits at whatever logic is at play here. But I guess they’re just taking their marching orders from Kate (and CarolE).
Nic919, wait, she launched this in the fall of 2018? Well, there is our answer. She will be trotting out well adjusted, healthy, happy 5-year-old children this fall. That’s how powerful her initiative has been!
I’ve thought about how clueless the brf members are, but this? If Wails had ANY thought process around the early years, she would have learned one thing. Just one thing. Talk about it. Then go out and learn one more thing. Ad inifinitum. Lame? Oh yes. But it would be something.
She truly doesn’t care to learn anything about this subject. She doesn’t need to know because the Nanny does.
It’s worse than that. Kate announced her quickly devised future project on Harry’s birthday. Sept. 15. KP didn’t announce Meghan’s Grenfell/book launch(the 20th) until the 17th(Friday before). https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2018091562353/kate-middleton-exciting-announcement-solo-charity-move/
I double checked the Becky English article and it is dated sept 14, 2018. The article about Meghan launching the cookbook was dated sept 20, 2018.
But I believe Becks pointed out in a previous post, the five survey questions didn’t come out until Jan 2020.
Even so we are now three years minimum from awareness and no one seems aware.
Kate needs to figure out a way to feed the hungry children in her country now, not a silly video with vague nothings.
Can someone help me, I’m confused: wasn’t “big change small minds” (or something to that affect) the same exact thing? What was that?
Yes, you’re right. That was a previous catch phrase
@Layla, she must have forgotten about that 😂
Yes @Layla. It was Big Change Starts Small. Pretty sure that’s what the printer video (lol) put out and maybe the video with clips of JFK and MLK. Her “letter” does seem to be a repetition of all that and the big announcement in June 2021 (you know the one that had a couple of announcements that a big announcement was coming). If you look back at CB archives from June 2021 it’s all there. If I sound sarcastic, it’s directed at the keenery of Kate.
This time around the whole giving tools to babies to raise their babies has been removed. Seems to be the only difference. https://people.com/royals/kate-middleton-royal-foundation-centre-for-early-childhood-launch/
Ah-so now it’s ‘Shaping Us’ (sounds like a pilates class). Hmmmm. Wonder if they had to move away from the Big Change Starts Small because this organization already existed.
https://www.smallstepsbigchanges.org.uk/
“Everything we do helps children grow up to be happy, healthy and confident”.
If Kate announces a partnership with this group or acknowledges their work-then that might be something. Otherwise, smh. That video is ridiculous.
This is just embarrassing. Not even a report – or white paper FCS – to go with the “announcement”?!?! JFC. Zero self-awareness. Zero intelligence. Do they think we’re all idiots? They never learn.
There is already tons of research in this area with highly credentialed researches that goes back for years. What this woman is purporting is nothing new and she adds no value to the conversation. I am puzzled by what she is trying to accomplish. If she and her foundation was funding additional research in a specific area them maybe, just maybe this would make sense. Otherwise this appears to be performative to give her an area to focus on.
1 in 4 girls, 1 in 6 boys experience sexual harm during childhood. That changes the trajectory of their lives no matter how great the first 5 years were. *Ahem Andrew*.
I find this narrative so harmful – like there’s only one way to do childhood well, and the “experts” know that isn’t true.
Also…read the statement and thought, how many ways can you say the exact same thing over and over rearranging the words from one paragraph to the next?
Agree. Kate makes it out to be that once you hit the age of 6 you are good. And that’s not it. Harry lost his mom at 12 and that really did something to his mental health.
Yes, you’re right – supports can’t just drop off at age 6! This framing is also harmful because it assumes the problem is simply awareness when in fact for many families, it’s poverty. It’s not a problem of willingness, it’s a problem of means.
Many caregivers know exactly what support they would like to provide their children, but they may not have the time, money, or resources to do so. Framing the problem as lack of awareness is how you end up blaming families for their own impoverishment, painting them as ignorant or lazy. It’s the old “they should pull themselves out of poverty by their bootstraps” nonsense in another form.
Thank you! I had a miserable early childhood, then stability thankfully arrived at age 6. This reads as if there’s no hope for me!
No offense but this princess is so completely uninspiring, after a decade in this role, this is all she has to say. I don’t think she should even bother, stick to being a wife and mum and attending charity functions in nice clothes. Boring
Great, so now they’re going to do something about early childhood hunger and homelessness, right? They’re going to fix the heartbreakingly inadequate healthcare and provide free lunches, maybe equalize educational opportunities, right? And of course child refugees will get all the care and attention they need now, right?
Right?
A reminder for Sussex fans. Be strategic with your social media engagement. Every time you talk about her you elevate her algorithms.
This is Kate’s big moment which means there will be lots of media promoting her. If we’ve learned anything these last few years is that negative attention is still attention
.
Let Kate be dragged but as a sussex fan if you must join in then keep it fact based and not on physical-characteristics or name calling. People are quick to defend this white women so instead of focusing on her failed projects they’ll spend time defending her from “unfair attacks.”
Harry was dragged on social media for spare and guess what it just got him more press and a successful book. Please don’t help kate and will get the attention they are craving. Highlight Harry and Meghan’s work that is going viral instead.
You cannot claim W&K are irrelevant or boring when you give them all your attention.
Focus on your favs. The Cambridge’s already have the whole establishment focused on them. Don’t let them take your attention as well.
Well said.
Lol what are you talking about? First of all, why should anyone be engaging with trolls who hate Meghan masquerading as Kate-lovers in good faith at all?
What’s the point of letting the conversation be co-opted by people who want to hide the actual fraud going on in these projects? These empty projects are taking up the time of actual experts in this country. It’s not a frivolous magazine read. Kate has had so many “big moments” that fell flat because nobody cared.
A lot of people dragged Harry for Spare. Guess what? An even larger number praised him and most importantly, bought the book.
It’s sad that not even this website can really drum up popularity for Kate though, there is that fact. It’s funny that reading your comment is what made me realize it.
@c I’m active on social media and sadly there were a lot of Sussex fans that I follow jumping on Kate threads or creating their own thereby giving her attention.. I had to mute these people.
Also there was a lot of hate when Harry’s book came out. Some of those people are changing their minds now because they’ve actually read it instead of reading tabloids. But the hate didn’t stop sales it actually propelled interest.
Negative attention is still attention…engagement is still engagement whether positive or negative.
There will always be those people. But your algorithms give you what you put out, so that goes both ways for people who like and hate the Sussexes. Also, I’m sure some of them pretend to be Sussex fans and uplift Kate. There are plenty like that too. None of them have huge followings, but yeah.
The tweets by Sussex fans are often some of the only ones she gets, and they still don’t generate any larger awareness.
These people ALWAYS hate-watch and hate-buy whatever the Sussexes do. That’s no surprise.
Kate already gets attention. Why should all of it be positive when there are real critiques to make?
Whelp, the troll tried it. A brand new name on here, pretending to be a member of SussexSquad, instructs everyone not to mock Kate. Tell us you work at KP without telling us you work at KP, Jan.
I mean mock her all you want but just be aware that they’ll defend her with quickness whereas that grace has never been given to Meghan.
That’s my point. You already know these people are quick to defend her so don’t give them a reason to change the subject.
Focus on her failing projects and lack of work ethics.
PS. I’m a huge Sussex fan just tryin to be smart about how I engage with the rest of Harry’s family ( royal stuff) so I’m not helping them inadvertently.
You came here to tell us that Kate fans who hate Meghan will never be nice to Meghan? We were aware, lol. These “fans” have literally threatened to shut down charities. Reasonable argument isn’t what they do. Why on earth would anybody who likes the Sussex care about catering to them?
Sure, Jan. Be sure to cash that KP check before they cancel it on you.
No
This isn’t how Twitter works at all, though. The media gets their stories and takes from twitter. The reaction criticism of Will and Kate from Spare got in to the trending and became articles and opinions.
leaving off criticism on the platform where opinions are shaped is not a great plan if your goal is to raise awareness of an issue or be heard.
There is a UK guy with a large who’s been defending Harry and Meghan loudly since the jubby. He was doing it all this weekend but yesterday made a post about “unfair criticism” of Kate he was seeing out of nowhere… He showed an example of people calling her thin etc.
So now instead of it being about her mediocre projects, trying and failing to erase Meghan, copying Meghan, wasting tax payer dollars, it became about “stop attacking Kate.”
the express, daily mail, royal reporters have always been quick to write articles blaming Sussex fans for this even when it’s been random anti monarchy people.
So I’m just reminding people especially those who are clear sussex fans not to fall into the trap because I saw some of that.
Instead call out the cambridges clear problems which there are many. Excessive spending, lies, manipulation, laziness, gaslighting..etc..
Hope that makes it clear.
@hype I already understand. I get why you’re worried.
As for the DM etc. they are going to drum up hatred however they can, they’ll make it up if they have to and they probably are some of the accounts they’re quoting as attacking Kate.
Even so, the only thing Kate PR care about is her looks, they’ve made that clear because it’s all they pushback on and is really her main purpose as “tourist attraction”. That’s why people are reacting here to your comment.
You can’t control how people comment on SM or if trolls pretend to be SS to say mean things. The BM makes bank off of finding criticism of Kate they can ascribe to SS. And so what? Meghan isn’t SS and frankly if we are holding people accountable for their fans, Kate is on the hook for Samantha “Markle” and the fake pregnancy trolls.
A lot of what you see on Twitter is fake, especially now post Elon. The BM knows that but they are desperate and they lie.
A reminder to us all (myself included). When obvious trolls show up, label them and move on. Makes it easier for Kaiser to take out the trash.
OMG that video! It’s the most absurd thing! I thought I was missing some amazing mumbled insight so I turned the sound on and…it’s just tinkling music. It’s basically just an ad for Big Blue, the literal star of the video. Place left hand flat on book so everyone can see Big Blue and…freeze. Turn page, place left hand down and…long pause. “Look everyone, admire my ring! Oh, these pictures of the brown poors and the cute white child? Yes, right, look at them too.”
Also, she might want to reevaluate her belief that the first 5 years are the blueprint to a happy, healthy, fulfilled life that leads to a happy, healthy and purpose-driven adult. Exhibit A) she’s married to a rage-filled, abusive (to Harry, at minimum), lazy, incurious, mean, unhappy man who contributes nothing to the world and is a huge drain on society…and he certainly had his first 5 years filled with all of the things she claims are the most important. Her husband spent his first 5 years in a wealthy, two parent home and had all of his needs met. He had access to all the best food, medical care, and education. And he lived in a comfortable and secure environment. So…maybe she should start her research at home to see what went wrong and why her hypothesis is a simplistic load of garbage.
The entire press release about this new phase of “look at me, I’m working, I have a ‘Centre’” sounds like a middle schooler trying to write a book report and get to the minimum word count – it’s repetitive (how many times does she say ‘really’!) and wordy without saying anything of substance.
Kate should look to her own early years and how they led to the awful way she treated Meghan and she ignores her nephew and niece. The Sussex children.
It’s really in the best interest of the Sussex kids to be ignored by their deranged Auntie and Uncle Wales.
Since she loves copying so much, what about Dolly Parton’s initiative where Tennessee children get books. So simple and ripe for publicity and photo ops for Kate.
Also I suspect once Louis is out of the “early years”, the later years will be more important to her.
Exactly! What absolutely infuriates me about the palace & the press promoting this nonsense is that lots of resource is being wasted for Kate to state the obvious & what there’s existing research for. Meanwhile the NYT & guardian are doing articles about children going to school hungry. Why can’t the royal foundation actually use its resources to try and help address these pressing issues?
https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2023/jan/29/children-arriving-hungry-as-nurseries-in-england-plead-with-ministers-for-extra-funds
Dolly’s initiative, The Imagination Library, is for all children ages 0-5 years in the US, Australia, The Republic of Ireland, Canada, & the UK. She has given away more than 197 million books. She also pays any college tuition and associated costs for the 11,000 part-time employees of her Dollywood theme park. She is one of the most philanthropic women in the US.
Also don’t forget the $1M she gave to help develop the Moderna vaccine at the beginning of covid!
Oh no, please do not even put Kate and Dolly’s name in the same sentence😂 She is not even a fraction of Dolly.
Obviously, no comparison. Because you have to be ROYAL to enjoy the “responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.” 👑
Also important to show off crown jewels wrested away from people in other lands in case anyone starts thinking you’re soft.
Just in time for Groundhog Day.
Too true, Eurydice. I snorted at your comment. Kate is nothing if not predictable.
I know it’s easy to mock Kate for this, but clearly something happened to her in her first five years to make gravitate towards pie charts but otherwise unable to complete any meaningful work on this, or any, project. Shame on Carole.
Because healthy, happy children shape a healthy, happy future.”
False
A)not healthy children can not be happy?
Sounds ableist
b)mental health problems can occur even if you had a happy childhood
Re: b), Kate’s own BROTHER has been open about his struggles with mental health issues, but she doesn’t seem to be connecting any dots here. It’s insane
This is so embarrassing. No, the 1st 5 years isn’t about “understanding themselves, others & the world”. It’s about achieving physical, speech, intellectual & cognitive milestones from newborn up to preschool. Why is everything she puts out dumbed down & framed in platitudes? All she needs to do is read a book about human growth & development which is taught in HS & university.
This campaign should be called ‘YDS’ as in ‘you don’t say’. Good job discovering hot water, Kate!
By the way, other than repeating how important it is, what exactly has she done?
And I agree, early childhood is important but it also is what comes later 🤦.
Florals for spring?
Groundbreaking.
As soon as I saw Big Blue in that video, I knew it would be bad, and it was. More performative cotton candy nonsense from the world’s laziest princess.
Is she aware that many people cannot read cursive writing, if that’s what that was? My college students have been asking me to print for at least five years (and my handwriting is a (neat) hybrid of print and cursive so as it is).
LMAO, I had the same exact reaction. As soon as I saw Big Blue, it was like, okay, here we go 🙄
It’s impossible to believe her team isn’t trolling her!
Totally useless woman. Ridiculous and stupid
The comments under that tweet are gold 😂😂😂😂, the bots are also so obvious!
Is there any significance to the pictures chosen in the “album” or are they just random? Who are the people in the album and why are they there? Is she going to be spending the rest of her life in “raising” and “shaping” awareness, with a new word in front of “awareness” every few years? Meanwhile, generations of adults face challenges in life because of challenging childhoods when they did not get the nourishment, physical, mental, and emotional, or the help they needed, just as if Kate had done nothing at all.
Clearly, Kate intends to be identified by a hand wearing a Diana’s engagement ring.
She is painfully vapid.
@OriginalMich: Yea verily, your words will be a “golden thread” every few years when she’s keen to raise awareness about the early yeaars.
Think back to my childhood? I don’t even remember my first five years! This whole thing of hers–raising awareness–is such a crock of shite.
‘Water is wet’, that is my new ‘awareness’ campaign. I have a pie chart showing 75% of people are unaware. I’m committed to spreading awareness that water is wet. I’ll gather a team of experts to help explain how and why water is wet.
This is a great campaign @Lizzie. But make sure you also ask people if they think it’s important for all people to know that water is wet. That’s question #2 😂
@Lizzie I look forward to hearing your findings in about 13 years
Water is wet! 😂😂😂
OMG that video. Look everyone! KKKate can turn pages all by herself.
Two thoughts…
At this point in history, Kate lacks all credibility to the point that the fact that she is championing the importance of the early years is actually making me doubt that the early years are at all important.
Also, I idly wonder how the models for those stock photos she is supposedly treasuring in her little notebook feel about being included in the early years campaign ad and whether it will benefit their careers.
The vast majority of the UK population is white. The fact that the vast majority of those pictured in the album are people of colour sends a message that this is the segment of the population which really needs to hear her message.
It’s almost unbelievable how incompetent they are – everything they touch turns to dust and exposes them. They were better off doing less and letting their fans project M&H attributes on to them. That adage about how it’s better to say silent and have some think you’re stupid than opening your mouth and confirming it really applies to these two.
Brilliant point, diANNa. I’ve noticed this, too.
Wow, lady who dropped/ghosted a ton of orgs that did actual work for children says what?
The only outcome they’re going for here is a flood of press releases that say “the princess” as many times as possible.
That last photo of Kate holding the little girl… I can’t believe they released it.
“MY! AREN’T YOU a little chunky chunk! I can put my hand RIGHT HERE and PUSSSHHH and no bones crack! You don’t even feel it with all that padding! My ligaments can’t really stretch around you but MMMM… Should I teach you to slim down or fatten you up for when I’m allowed to eat??! So JUICY nom nom nom!!”
Sorry. I don’t have any other thoughts about this.
Doesn’t Kate have anything new to say about her early childhood campaign? We’ve known and read for so many times and in so many years since she launched it that the first 5 years of childhood shapes the rest of our lives. Doesn’t she plan to add anything substantive to this? She is redundant and repetitive. The more she repeats herself without anything new in her campaign the more people see how st-p-d she’s become.
The repetition of a simplistic slogan is propaganda. If the first 5 years entirely shapes your life, then after that, you’re sol. And we want proper kids who’ve been properly raised in England, right? Hopefully in the Home Counties, or as close as possible. Not those… others. From somewhere else. Like all those horrid Albanian children who are doomed to be thugs because they had a rough start in life. And why try to help people who had a rough start in life? Better throw them in prison — or worse — and get rid of the problem.
This is the goal of Kate and her Tory handlers’ “Early Years” crap. To get people to believe this fascist garbage.
Wow. This is giving serious Be Best vibes.
It’s almost as if stupid, lazy people who are famous because they married someone famous are terrible at doing important work.
Meanwhile, Archewell released a detailed 24 page synopsis of the actual, useful, ongoing work they are doing with worthy organizations around the world.
This manages to make “Be Best” look slightly less stupid in comparison
You guys she’s LEARNING ok? Still learning! 😆
The book opens up with a Black man. You can’t make this sh** up. I want someone on Twitter to remake that video. When she writes what shapes us? Next to the Black man, someone needs to respond in writing on the same page: colonization, theft, stolen resources, stolen jewelry, stolen wealth, pillage, torture, etc. and then write in bold REPARATIONS NOW!!!
Meghan has better handwriting. In fact she has better everything including the better brother and the better life. And probably more better bathrooms.
Kate is so tone deaf. The video is embarrassing, hilarious, and infuriating all at the same time.
I agree with all of you that the messaging is extremely problematic. Her time would be better spent campaigning to keep school lunches but something tells me she doesn’t give a rat’s ass if poor kids who need those lunches starve to death (see her reaction to hearing Indian children are sometimes maimed so they can become more sympathetic beggars).
They messed up making this her cause she should have done health through sports and just shown up to mainly boys/ men’s sporting events and practices and kicked a ball around etc. That’s where she shines and appears genuinely interested. I wouldn’t have her at too many girls’ events unless they are way younger and White so as to not “trigger” her.
I stopped the video right at the first page because of the Black man. The old “Black men don’t take care of their families” trope? No thanks, especially not from the family that physically assaults their own members.
Maybe her book isn’t as racist as that first page looks but I can’t even try it today.
This is the thing. Apart from saying ad nauseum that “the first five years are important,” why have they not moved on to itemize some of the elements that contribute to the development of a wholistically healthy child during the “first five years.”
Physical exercise/mental stimulation/proper nutrition/positive social exposure/love & belongingness……these are just some of the subheads of “The First Five Years” development process. And they all can be broken down into further and better particulars.
B*tch should take a look at Archewell’s new report to see how H&M are going about ensuring that the “first five years” are taken care of by promoting and helping parents via the “paid parental leave” campaign, for example; as well as what they did for the Uvalde community and the shelter for abused women with little kids; and what Archewell does via World Central Kitchen (and thats just what I recall off the top of my head.)
H&M dont have to talk about the “first five years,” theyre just out there ensuring that parents of kids in “the first five years” get the help they need.
Boom!
@SideEye, I hope someone who’s good at Photoshop sees your comment and puts out an…alternate version of Kate’s video, with the text you suggested. And that it goes as viral as her green screen dress pictures did.
@WiththeAmericann ITA! Nauseating how comfortable they are using Black people as props. Just disgusting. I hope the man in the picture sues their asses. Unbelievable!
@Kingston everything you just said! Spot on.
@Lorelei we can dare to dream! I love that the comments under that Tweet are absolute FIRE! They never cease to amaze me with how offensive and racist they really are.
The letter (that she absolutely did not write) says she’s going to partner with experts in policy making – how is that not political? Obviously we all know that the biggest reason this initiative is a farce is because children and families don’t need to be condescended to about how important childhood is, they need actual resources and financial security. So by partnering with policy makers, are they going to actually advise on public policy on behalf of the princess of wails? I know I don’t have to say it, but if Meghan had said she was going to work with policy makers No. 10 itself would have spontaneously combusted from the shock and horror that reverberated through conservative England.
LOL truth.
But in fact, DoS IS working with policymakers. She hasnt given up lobbying congresscritters on paidleaveforfamilies, for example. I feel strongly that we’ll be seeing her in congress later this year as a private citizen lobbying for paid family leave.
Yet somehow, despite it all, K can find a way to put Big Blue and EIGHT buttons in a 15 second video.
“See, here we are embiggening ourselves… er, our work!… with our very many famous friends, as soon as we hire them! Sussexes who, amirite?!”
It’s just SO BAD. Please, hire competent professionals already. Just one! It’s embarrassing!
This is so condescending this 41 year old woman who doesn’t do anything has Five homes that we know of lives in a insane amount of wealth. Is telling hard working parents who bust their ass everyday their Taxes are being used to fund her lifestyle and her kids lifestyle how early development is important. Does this Dimwit clueless awful woman who show up to food bank empty think people are stupid don’t know anything that she has to tell people what important.
Without being an expert on early years, I can say that one important thing for the first five years is adequate nutrition. And many (too many) families in Britain depend on food banks. You know, the one William and his wife visited the other day. Did she learn that the food banks help supply that needed nutrition because wages haven’t kept up with inflation, etc and it’s a government issue?
How soon until Early Years becomes too political and she drops it? After all, Louis is aging out of those early years and she won’t have a pretend vested interest.
Walks in. Reads this ‘still learning’ nonsense. Sucks teeth. Turns around and leaves.
@RoyalBlue, I mean, I’m laughing at this comment, but this is probably exactly what happened. *Exactly*
LOL @RoyalBlue!
Do you really believe she is the appropriate advocate for children, considering she has no educational background to support the cause (Art History won’t help) and has issues controlling her own children? After 12 years as a royal, she still is “coming into her own” and hasn’t yet been known to stick with any cause. Her aides should inform her there’s more to advocacy than photo ops. Even the British Media can’t seem to cover and make excuses for her here…
Ok – agree, early years = important. Please do something then!
Open a school. Guarantee universal preschool. Pay educators $$$ through the royal foundation. Recruit more teachers, build more classrooms.
Do actual things to help families get these experiences for their young children.
Let this B sink herself
This is not always the case as the early years being a turning point. I saw a news report on a man on Good Morning America (on this morning’s show) who had not learned to read but he became an inspiration, He was illiterate in school but he later got a copy of a book: 365 quotes to live your life by. And from that time on he became a reader whose goal is to read 100 books a year. He has a million followers on TikTok and bookstores have been sending him books for his library. It is a never say never situation. Not to give up on people after the early years. People’s lives can be turned around.
Well Kate, you can start by opening your wallet and encouraging others to do so. Oh, I forgot, the last time you opened your wallet a moth flew out.
Healthy, happy kids happen when they don’t have to face food insecurity and go to school hungry, when their parents have to work numerous P/T jobs and are stressed out financially, emotionally and mentally. Healthy, happy kids happen when they have a steady, supportive home life where they can have age-appropriate toys, playgrounds and green spaces, and parents who aren’t working shitty jobs in shifts meaning their kids don’t have adult supervision much of the time. Little kids are like sponges — they soak up all the stressful energy around them and it has a debilitating effect on their ability to cope as they grow through their early years.
Can your tiny brain not absorb the fact that all of this requires money. Donations. Funding. Not pie charts and useless word salads. Showing up at a food bank without anything to offer was one of the stupidest things I’ve seen you and your gormless twit of a husband do besides the colonialist jeep ride. You’ve been faffing around at this for over 10 years yet nothing concrete has come out of it. If you were in the business world working for a living instead of sponging off tax payers you’d have been fired long ago.
I worked in early childhood for 27 years and it’s hard to overstate the importance of brain development during those first 5 years. There is amazing research and advocacy that been going on for decades. To say this is just the beginning is just plain stupid and insulting.
This is all nice, glossy word salad…but where is the tangible aspect? What actual initiatives are being launched? Any pilot programs in the works? In what communities? What are the goals?
Okay the first 5 years are important. So are the next 5 and the next 5 and the next 10, etc.
And I though associating with celebrities was so basic and un-royal. Is it royal now?
Her PR want to put her up against the other European royal women but she lacks the work ethic, acumen and gravitas to tackle the types of issues you see women like Queen Letizia, Queen Maxima, Crown Princess Mary and Crown Princess Victor (just to name a few) tackle! She is just not in the same league and her PR needs to stop trying to put her there. Just give her a coat dress with buttons and let her pose for some photos and cut a ribbon and leave it at that. She will never make a humanitarian trip like the aforementioned women do, she will never be able to give speeches like they do and she will IMO never hold the types of positions/patronages that they do.
As I wrote in another thread, that’s why Quinn picked this out of thin air. She only had days to think of something in the face of Meghan’s tangible work with the Together Cookbook. Quinn picked ‘early childhood’ because 1) no other married-in has focused on this and 2) all it means is Kate posing with very young children or panels of experts. Children 4+ have already learned to see through her so they had to go with younger children. There is no intention for Kate to be impactful at all, simply for existing work by experts to be repackaged under her banner.
IZ_Q, You are absolutely right in everything you say. But who is “forcing” Kate to continue this charade? Is it her mother? I wonder. She will never be in a class with those other royal women you mentioned, or, of course, Duchess Meghan. Why is she choosing to humiliate herself again and again with her make-believe? Surely she knows what a fool she is making of herself and that she is getting well-deserved mockery?
She wants to please her husband.
William has discovered that he needs to have a wife that is similar to his brother’s.
His purpose is to have what his brother has, and more……
Good Question. I don’t know if her PR is forcing this on her. If Charles is making her do something or if she’s being set up to fail tbh. Wills has ES so Kate has to have something “big”.
I sometimes do wonder if Kate actually believes her own hype and believes she’s up to a task like this or even if she believes she’s better than the other royal women we’ve mentioned. Heck, maybe their BFFs the royal rota people are somehow suggesting she needs to step up…I don’t know. I’m just thinking out loud at this point. They sent her to Denmark to basically get a photo op with CP Mary and get the whole comparison going. I honestly don’t get it. This type of undertaking is obviously not her forte. She’s way out of her league here. She fell flat with Dr. Biden. She fell flat with CP Mary. She sounded like a teeny bopper meeting her celeb crush at that recent round table with the bopping back and forth, the hair, the inaudible voice, etc.
If public speaking was not her strong suit…I get it. Many people struggle with public speaking. But, she has had every resource at her disposal for years. Work on your public speaking, diction, professional demeanor. Get Hooked on Phonics…something!
This latest re-packaged campaign is going to go the same route as all the others…nowhere. She launches alot..but nothing ever lands!
That’s a good question. I think it’s two things— Well Wisher is probably right that she feels pressure from William to do something substantive; he’s visibly embarrassed of her.
But we’ve also always heard about how competitive Kate herself is, so she probably needs this to cling to in order to assure herself that she’s up there with the Sussexes (and particularly Meghan) in terms of “BIG” projects.
Unfortunately, the poor idiot is unable to see that she’s totally making a complete fool out of herself.
@IZ_Q, your comment reminded me of that movie with Matthew McConaughey (I think?), and Sarah Jessica Parker, “Failure to Launch.”
All of Kate’s “campaigns” should be called Failure to Launch, lol.
She’s supposedly always been very competitive with her sister. The same sister who got a masters in early childhood education this past July. It’s a two year course if you do it full-time. My guess is that Pippa had already decided to go back to school when the news dropped about the cookbook and then Kate thought she’d get a head start on her sister and steal Meghan’s thunder at the same time.
WAINS? Yet another of her belly flops…
Those who really want to learn about this field will consult professionals and experts in the field, not Kate. Or they will study the field and go for an advanced degree in it. Kate being a self proclaimed “leader” in this field is so very wrong on many many levels.
Water is wet report.
“change in the way that we think about and see the importance of early years”
Shouldn’t the goal be to actually change the ability of children to have well-founded early years? But no, she would be content if we merely change our thoughts on early years, and that’s it. No need to put those thoughts into any tangible benefit for anyone.
Exactly!
Because she does so much bloody thinking and not doing!
We already know the early years of a child’s life are important. We don’t need to raise awareness of that! Why are they so important. What are issues that affect a child’s development (socially, emotionally, cognitively, etc.) during those years. How can THOSE issues be addressed with programs, access, initiatives, training of caregivers, parents, teachers to provide assistance, learning tools, etc. She has not put forth any substantive approaches, initiatives or programs through this foundation of hers to address anything.
Plus it is such broad strokes of a very complicated and multi-layered issue that if one person utters “early years” it will be proclaimed a total success!
You know, this reminds me of Lindsay and Tobias on Arrested Development. They had these campaigns called, “TBD” to raise awareness for a charity To Be Determined. Then Tobias had an allergic reaction to his toupee, so they put on a charity evening to raise money for this disease. This is a notch above Kate’s Early Years campaign because at least Tobias and Lindsay brought in money. The early years needs one thing and one thing from you Kate, cash!!! Fund the already amazing projects getting done. Read an actual article, go to the discussion section. See what they recommend. Then give them the money to do that thing. At least show up with some books when you go places! I hear “The Bench” would be a good start.
The Lindsay and Tobias reference is perfect. Thanks for the lol amidst this otherwise depressing and disheartening thread. It’s all just such a waste and a distraction in an area where so much real investment and energy is needed for real kids.
Stupse!
I don’t have an issue with an awareness campaign if 1) awareness is needed, and 2) awareness will help solve the problem. Will greater awareness lead to some kind of government action, a change in the way people parent (with resources), increased funding etc.
This awareness campaign, until proven otherwise, seems like vanity.
A woman who lives in castles, palaces, nannies, lap of luxury has NO place how to tell or preach to ANYONE about how to live their lives or bring up children.
She’s offensive.
Kate when you stop buying 107000(?) of new clothes, be more humble and a good person, then we might consider your words.
Other than that, go away and enjoy the fruits of your social climbing and stop throwing your wealth and narcissism at us.
So Carole aimed for kates early years to avoid work
Ugh. Once again there’s no link to anywhere to expand on the message.
“I urge everyone reading this to take the opportunity to learn more about this incredible time of life.” Ok, Kate, tell us where to go to get all the information your experts have amassed! “…to ask yourselves what you can do to make the world a more supportive and loving place for our children.” Give us some ideas. What do your experts suggest?
So:
no research,
no statistics,
no accountability,
no evidence base,
no concrete actions and, of course,
no funding
Just more word farts…
…and didn’t we do all of this twenty years ago with the amazing Sure Start programme. Until the funding was pulled, probably to pay for another maroon coat-dress.
Oh she has three children her fans say
Makes her an expert. Enough already
I can’t watch her stuff. Either she’s jumping around mumbling, or she’s putting together these pretty pieces of curated fluff. It is both patronising and of no use at all. Early years has been going on for decades; it carries on now with real experts leading the developments. How the hell has she inserted herself into something that doesn’t ‘belong’ to her. She makes me rage, and my new year resolution was to not rage! And the ring. It’s ugly, always was. I sincerely believe Kate thinks she honours and carries on the work of Diana by wearing it. Nowhere near, dear.
The dm goes on about her bouncy hair she tucks over her ears to show off the recycling of ear rings. So shallow and vapid.
I just don’t understand why anyone in her right mind would think the birds’ nests she wears on her head are attractive and “natural.” But more importantly, I am so grateful to Kate for making me aware the first five years are so important. I had no idea! How revolutionary!
How about doing something that makes an actual difference rather than mumbling words someone else wrote.