Overview
- Catherine delivered her first public speech in nearly two years at London’s Future Workforce Summit, urging business leaders to invest in early childhood and to value “time and tenderness” alongside productivity.
- The summit, hosted by the Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, gathered about 80 corporate leaders and featured moderator Mishal Husain with contributions from Gareth Southgate and early-years experts.
- Taskforce partners highlighted concrete moves, including Deloitte’s expanded parental leave for fathers, NatWest’s increased lending to the early-years sector, and family-support initiatives from IKEA and Lego.
- One day later, Catherine and Prince William made a high-profile return to the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall, their first joint red-carpet appearance since 2023 in support of the Royal Variety Charity.
- Separately, Catherine publicly backed a London exhibition on postnatal mental health by sharing a supportive letter on Instagram that praised women speaking openly about their experiences.