The Princess of Wales’ Call to Action

The Princess of Wales has called for greater dignity for carers and greater respect for values such as "tenderness" in business in her first public speech in two years. At an event in the City of London, Catherine urged 80 top business leaders to do their part to ensure employees can lead healthy family lives, including caring responsibilities.

Restoring Dignity to Caring

“I believe in restoring the dignity of the quiet, often invisible work of caring and loving well if we are to build a happier, healthier society,” the Princess said at the Future Workforce Summit. The event was part of Catherine’s campaign to raise awareness of the importance of the early childhood years and building healthy family relationships.

A Return to Public Life

This was Catherine’s first speech since November 2023 and the first since her cancer diagnosis, which was announced in March 2024. She has since shared recorded messages on social media, including about her gradual recovery from chemotherapy, but this was the first speech given in person since then. It marks another step in her return to public life and also reflects her style.

The Importance of Kindness and Love

Her confidently delivered speech reflected her deeply rooted, personal message about the need for a greater emphasis on kindness and the realization that “love is the first and most important bond.” “The love we feel in our earliest years fundamentally shapes who we become and how we thrive as adults,” the Princess said. She told business leaders about the need for families to provide a supportive home for their children as part of what she called the “fabric of love.”

Rethinking Workplace Priorities

Catherine urged business leaders to rethink their workplaces and create a different model for their priorities, one where companies “value time and tenderness as much as productivity and success.” The princess, who founded the early childhood center before her illness, called for more comprehensive measurement of success. "As a business leader, you face the daily challenge of finding the balance between profitability and positive impact. But the two are not incompatible and should not be incompatible," she said.

Expert Insights

Also heard at the event was Robert Waldinger, a psychiatrist, who said research has shown that people who had nurtured relationships in early childhood are still likely to be emotionally more secure as they age. Former England football manager Sir Gareth Southgate said at that business meeting that in trying to motivate players he had found that youngsters from difficult family backgrounds may not have the same level of confidence as those who grew up in closer family relationships.

Building Confidence and Resilience

Sir Gareth spoke about his own experiences responding to stressful moments, using a combination of "sleep, good nutrition and alcohol restriction" as well as breathing exercises to control stress. He recalled his own recovery from the “public humiliation” of missing a penalty in a semi-final when he said “half the world was watching.” He said it meant "slowly taking small steps to rebuild your self-confidence" and he spoke of the importance of people "being comfortable in their own skin" in any workplace.

Corporate Support

This meeting was part of the Business Taskforce that the Princess launched to gain corporate support for her campaign to recognize the importance of early childhood. Event attendees heard from executives from companies supporting the project, including major corporations.