Prince and Princess of Wales attend event at BAFTA for Shaping Us campaign launch

The Princess of Wales made a stylish splash in a red pantsuit as she launched the next leg of her campaign to highlight the crucial ‘early years’ of childhood.

Tonight he kicked off his new ‘Shaping Us’ initiative, which will see an ambitious advertising blitz in cinemas and billboards across the country, to a dazzling reception at BAFTA in London.

In attendance were newly appointed ‘champions’ from the world of music, science, sport, celebrity and academia, including presenter Rochelle Humes, England women’s soccer captain Leah Williamson and broadcaster Fearne Cotton.

Kate, 41, who was joined by her proud husband Prince William, looked effortlessly chic in her Studio 54-inspired outfit featuring flared trousers, sky-high heels and chandelier-style earrings.

Presenter Kate Silverton, the TV presenter who retrained as a child therapist, praised the Princess for her “fervent dedication” and advocacy on the issue.

Host Rochelle Humes revealed that she had brought her daughter, Alaia, to the event “on a school night.”

‘There’s only one reason she’s here,’ he teased, looking at the princess, ‘and…it’s your hair. She has the best hair, mom!

In a speech, Kate explained why she believes it is as important to focus on children’s social and emotional needs as much as their physical and cognitive ones, saying: “The campaign is fundamentally about highlighting the critical importance of early childhood and how it gives It shapes the adults we become.

‘During this time we laid the foundations and building blocks for life. And it is when we learn to understand ourselves, understand others and understand the world in which we live.

‘That’s why it’s essential to not only understand the unique importance of our early years, but also to know what we can all do to help raise future generations of happy and healthy adults.

‘Those involved in raising children today need the best information and support to help achieve this mission, and this campaign aims to help do that too.

‘By building a world of support and care around children and those who care for them, we can make a world of difference for generations to come. Because fundamentally healthy and happy children shape a healthy and happy future.’

The campaign, which the royal has described as her “life’s work”, aims to increase public understanding of the crucial importance of the first five years of a child’s life.

Led by The Royal Foundation Center for Early Childhood, the campaign seeks to “transform the issue of scientific interest into one of the most strategically important issues of our time.”

As well as being spearheaded by the Princess, Shaping Us is supported by a variety of high-profile figures from the worlds of media, music, science and sports.

Tonight’s event, chaired by Kate Silverton, featured short speeches from Princess of Wales Amanda Berry, Chief Executive of The Royal Foundation and campaign champion Rochelle Humes.

Kicking off the campaign was the release of a short film highlighting how babies and children develop in response to their first experiences.

The screening was followed by a question and answer session between Eamon McCrory, Professor of Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology, University College London and Dr Guddi Singh, pediatrician and health activist.

Following the speeches, the Prince and Princess of Wales attended a drinks reception with campaign stakeholders, including members of the Royal Foundation Early Childhood Center Advisory Group and representatives of the early childhood sector.

The Princess spoke about the campaign in an open letter published yesterday in the Mail on Sunday, in which he outlined his plan for ‘Shaping Us’.

He wrote the impassioned plea on his laptop as he prepared for the launch of the campaign, which begins with a week-long publicity blitz, including tonight’s event at the BAFTAs.

Kate gave a sneak peek of the Shaping Us campaign, which a spokesperson described as “her life’s work”, with a short video on social media.

In the 50-second film, his hands are seen opening a photo album with a blank cover.

Inside, next to the photo of a grown man, write the question: ‘What shapes us?’ On other pages we see family photos, an ultrasound and a pregnant woman.

When Kate removes a photo of a little girl from the album, it reveals the words: “Our early childhood shapes the adults we become.”

It’s the start of what Kensington Palace hopes will be a major multimedia push to raise awareness of how our early years shape our lives.

The campaign is a bold and more public direction for the Royal Trust Center for Early Childhood, set up by the Princess, then Duchess of Cambridge, in June 2021.

Reports produced by the center have revealed that the first five years shape future well-being more than any other stage of development, with our brains growing faster than at any other time. However, many people are unaware of this fact.

Now the center is taking his work to the general public. He also hopes to ‘break the cycle’ for parents who experienced a difficult childhood.

Palace attendants say the idea for the project began even before Kate became a mother.

The Princess explains in today’s letter that ‘as a society, we are now devoting much more of our time and energy to the afterlife.

“I am absolutely determined that this long-term campaign is going to change that.”