Kensington Palace has confirmed that Princess Kate will make an outing this week in London.
The Princess of Wales will visit the Anna Freud charity on Thursday, where she will explore how relationships and connections influence the life trajectories of infants, children and adolescents.
Kensington Palace has revealed that the visit will see Kate examining the crucial impact of early bonds on young people’s development and future wellbeing.
The engagement follows her recent address at the Future Workforce Summit, where she emphasised how stable, caring relationships provide the foundation children require to flourish.
The timing of her visit aligns with a significant new initiative between the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood and Anna Freud, aimed at strengthening the capabilities of health visitors in fostering early emotional and social growth.
The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood has commissioned Anna Freud to develop an extensive training initiative for professionals working with families and young children.
This workforce development scheme represents a collaboration with the Institute of Health Visiting and seeks to equip practitioners with enhanced abilities to nurture the emotional and social foundations essential for children’s wellbeing.
The programme emerges from recognition that early years experiences fundamentally shape lifelong outcomes, with particular focus on strengthening the bonds between parents and their infants.
Princess Kate set for London appearance in just days as future Queen focused on early years mission
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Health visitors and early years professionals will receive specialised training to better support these critical relationships, addressing a need that frequently remains unrecognised despite its profound importance for child development.
Anna Freud stands as Britain’s foremost institution for evidence-based research and training in youth and family mental health, with Kate serving as its patron for nine years.
The organisation works towards enabling all young people to fulfil their potential through timely, collaborative support that addresses their mental and emotional health needs.
Research compiled by the charity reveals that individuals with stronger social connections to friends, family or community experience better mental and physical health outcomes.
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The Princess of Wales during a visit to the Anna Freud Centre in 2013
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PA
Despite this, British youth face significant challenges, with 70 per cent of those aged 18 to 24 experiencing loneliness regularly, making them the most isolated age group nationally.
Current estimates indicate that one in five children and adolescents in England lives with a mental health condition, highlighting the pressing requirement for enhanced connection opportunities.
During her visit, Kate will engage with Professor Eamon McCrory, the charity’s Chief Executive, to examine how Anna Freud advances mental health provision for young people through scientific research, partnerships and clinical innovation.
The Princess will participate in discussions with parents and carers who are contributing to the development of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood’s new initiative to enhance professional expertise among health visitors and their colleagues.
Kate’s schedule includes joining roundtable conversations featuring Anna Freud specialists, young people, educational professionals and additional participants to explore strategies for building communities that foster meaningful connections.
These discussions will address methods to strengthen children’s wellbeing support systems and develop preventative approaches to mental health challenges.
The new programme draws upon the Centre’s Shaping Us Framework, which acknowledges that early experiences of love and nurturing relationships fundamentally determine personal development.
Built on scientific evidence, practitioner expertise and parental insights, the initiative particularly targets children who face the greatest risk of entering school without essential social and emotional competencies.
The Centre has already invested in testing the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB), an assessment tool employed during standard health visitor appointments to support infant development.
Following initial trials at two locations, the programme expanded to eight additional UK sites in January 2025, with the current phase continuing through March 2026.
This systematic approach aims to transform how health professionals identify and address early developmental needs across Britain.