Overview
- The Princess opened with a call to prioritise love in the early years and told executives that profitability and positive impact are not incompatible.
- Roughly 80 leaders met at Salesforce Tower, with Mishal Husain hosting and contributions from Sir Gareth Southgate, Marc Brackett, Robert Waldinger and Philippa Perry.
- The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood announced new corporate initiatives to scale support for babies and young children across the UK.
- Member companies outlined programmes including IKEA’s baby‑bank partnerships, LEGO ‘Emotions’ sets for providers, Deloitte‑funded training for 1,300 early‑years teachers and Co‑op‑supported apprenticeships, with efforts reported to have reached over half a million children so far.
- Today’s push builds on a 2024 taskforce report estimating a £45.5bn national benefit from prioritising early childhood, and several outlets noted it was Kate’s first public speech in two years following cancer treatment.