Princess Kate has travelled by mini bus to visit the National Portrait Gallery on Tuesday to launch an innovative project supporting young children's social and emotional development.
The Princess of Wales, 43, was joined by a group of four and five-year-old pupils from All Souls CE Primary School in London to be the first to experience a new programme developed by her new initiative.
Developed by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, founded by Princess Kate and the National Portrait Gallery, the interactive trail aims to help four and five-year-olds develop crucial life skills.
The project marks the first implementation of the new Shaping Us Framework, lead by the Princess of Wales, which aims to increase society's understanding of social and emotional skills development.
Princess Kate launched an innovative project supporting young children's social and emotional development
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During her visit, Princess Kate accompanied the children as they explore how faces express feelings and create their own self-portraits.
The interactive experience included listening to audio recordings, using props, and exploring facial expressions in the portraits.
Young participants were encouraged to think about their own lives, feelings and thoughts while creating self-portraits.
The activities are based on the Shaping Us Framework, which draws on global expertise from academics, clinicians, and practitioners in human development.
Princess Kate has travelled by mini bus to visit the National Portrait Gallery
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The Bobeam Tree experience trail will be open to the public from February 4 to March, 16, 2025 at the National Portrait Gallery and will be free to participate in and welcomes nursery and reception groups as well as families with young children.
During her visit, Princess Kate met with Victoria Siddall, the Gallery's newly appointed Director.
The Princess of Wales also spoke with Chief Executives and expert practitioners from five other UK galleries who are exploring ways to implement the Shaping Us Framework in their organisations.
The Centre for Early Childhood is working with various sectors to promote social and emotional skills development across society.
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Princess Kate was joined by a group of four and five-year-old pupils from All Souls CE Primary School
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The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood published a new framework aimed at improving awareness of and knowledge about social and emotional skills to inspire action across society on February 2.
Writing in the foreword of the report, The Princess of Wales said: “To create a physically and mentally healthier society, we must reset, restore, and rebalance…
“That means taking a profound look at ourselves and our own behaviours, emotions, and feelings. It means getting much better at acting with compassion and empathy towards one another… better understanding how we can protect and build upon what connects and unites us… and acknowledging that society is something we build together, through the actions we take every day.
"At the heart of all of this is the need for us to develop and nurture a set of social and emotional skills which we must prioritise if we are to thrive.”
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