The Princess of Wales, 43, has supported Anna Freud for around a decade, and the charity remains a key part of her work with children aged 0 to 5. During her visit, a new collaboration was unveiled between the Anna Freud organization and her Centre for Early Childhood. The partnership will introduce a new development program designed to strengthen the skills of health visitors. These health visitors are the professionals who support mothers in the early days and weeks after childbirth in the United Kingdom.
During the visit, Princess Kate met the charity's Chief Executive, Professor Eamon McCrory, and joined several roundtable discussions. McCrory told PEOPLE that the day focused on a theme that is deeply important to the princess, which is the significance of relationships. He explained that strong relationships in childhood offer protection from later mental health problems and create a foundation for wellbeing throughout life. He added that these ideas closely connect to the principles behind the Shaping Us framework, which Kate has been championing.
The collaboration with Kate's Centre for Early Childhood will lead Anna Freud to design training programs for public health professionals who support new mothers and families with young children. This training aims to better equip early years workers to strengthen relationships between parents, babies, and toddlers.
During the morning session, Kate also spent time with parents and young children. McCrory noted that she has a natural and down-to-earth manner, which helped parents quickly feel comfortable sharing their experiences. She played with toddlers and babies, showing her genuine interest in people and her belief in the importance of early relationships.
Afterward, the princess joined more discussions with experts and staff about children's mental health. McCrory said she is continuing to build public understanding of how childhood experiences, relationships, and development shape future outcomes. He added that the new collaboration reflects her dedication to supporting the workforce and engaging leaders and parents in promoting healthier futures.
Kate's visit followed her speech at the Future Workforce Summit on Nov. 19, where she emphasized the value of stable and nurturing relationships for children. McCrory concluded that her work is expanding and aims to transform how society approaches wellbeing and mental health.
