While 2023 will certainly be dominated by the pizazz of May’s coronation – the new sovereign in bejewelled crowns, donning a cloth of gold and anointed in secret recipe holy oil – this year is also vitally important for the monarchy as a whole.
The future starts now, and the new slimmed down House of Windsor is already setting in train its manifesto. Now, it may feel like business as usual with community and military engagements filling the court circular in the UK and reports of a busy overseas program to support the government on the agenda.
Yet already I have noted a deliberate concentration on often complex social issues coming to the fore, and a definite lifting of the mystical royal curtain, resulting in a more touchy-feely people’s monarchy out and about in the world.
Juliet Rieden, The Weekly’s Royal Correspondent.
(Image: Supplied)Certainly we never saw the late Queen Elizabeth hugging, but now hugs abound on the royal beat and selfies with a beaming royal, once banned, are also creeping in – although these are probably less popular with the accompanying personal protection officers.
Leading this regal revolution has been Catherine, now Princess of Wales. Since she married into the monarchy 12 years ago it’s fair to say Kate’s progress has been slow and steady, the calm reliable support; wife and mother to two future kings and two “spares”, perfect in photos and charming in gatherings.
But in truth, there has been much more going on behind the scenes in this Princess’s court and the “Shaping Us” campaign launched in recent weeks is something Catherine has been tirelessly working towards for a decade. And it’s impressive and important work.
Catherine at the recent launch of Shaping Us, a Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood initiative she’s been working tirelessly toward for a decade.
(Image: Getty)The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood is a legacy initiative which a Kensington Palace spokesperson tells me will be the Princess’s “life’s work”.
Catherine’s interest in the first five years of a child’s life is not because she’s a mum of three, the spokesperson is at pains to point out. It’s fuelled by her work in the fields of mental health and addiction; through this she learned of the proven connections between these critical issues and early years’ trauma.
The Heads Together initiative that William, Harry and Kate launched together back in 2016 certainly focused the Princess’s thoughts on how she might make a difference, and many have said it was actually Kate’s idea. That project, which is still ongoing, shifted the dial on public perception of mental health, shattering its stigma and prompting young people especially to talk openly in a way they never had before.
It is that level of societal change Catherine is hoping to implement through her early years work.
Convening an expert advisory group drawn from academia, science and the early years sector, the Princess has commissioned new research that informs this unique project and in her launch speech outlined her credo.
“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,” she proudly declared.
Catherine is used to dominating media front pages but the stories generally focus on her outfits, her hair, her beauty and yes, her royal celebrity. It must be a relief to be able to use that platform in a meaningful way, and her passion is clear. Through this contemporary, intensive campaign which included social media, a short film, public appearances throughout the UK and celebrity ambassadors, the Princess has already raised awareness and shared her message.
Aside from providing support for parents, the Princess highlights how we can and should all play a part, the integral village raising our young children. In one key part of the campaign Catherine shared a photo of herself on social media. In it baby Kate is reaching out to touch her father Michael Middleton’s smiling face.
“Faces are a baby’s best toy,” she writes, inviting others to share photos.
This is just the start of a long-term project that will be fascinating to watch. There is so much work to do in this space and with the Royal Foundation charity behind her, Catherine is a powerful advocate.
“Faces are a baby’s best toy,” Catherine captioned a baby photo of herself with her father.
(Image: Instagram)Meanwhile, plans are gathering apace for the earlier mentioned May 6 coronation which kicks off a three-day long weekend in Britain with events designed to bring people together in what has so far proved to be a year of global and economic distress.
Following the pomp of the event there will be street parties across the UK on the Sunday and a televised concert at Windsor Castle featuring Lionel Richie and a coronation choir drawn from diverse groups, including a virtual choir of Commonwealth singers featuring some from Australia.
Then, on Monday’s public holiday, “The Big Help Out” will encourage people to get involved in local volunteering.
It’s still not clear if Prince Harry and Meghan will attend the coronation, but with an overarching vibe of inclusion and coming together I think it’s highly likely we will see the couple at this momentous historic occasion.
You can read this story and many others in the March issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly – on sale now.
