Deep in the Cornish woods, the Princess of Wales has settled on the one thing she believes every young child needs more of.
Catherine, the Princess of Wales, 44, said in a video released by Kensington Palace on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, that quality time outdoors “has never been more important” in this “tech-driven, digital age” — her case for getting small children away from screens and into the open.
The princess, also known as Kate Middleton, visited Cornwall on Thursday, Oct. 15, ahead of the launch of new research into how nature shapes babies and young children. She tasked the work to the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood and its expert partners, with the Duchy of Cornwall as founding partner. The study examines time in nature alongside loving relationships, and how the combination helps the youngest children develop social and emotional skills.
Kensington Palace also released a new portrait of the princess, in which she wore a floral shirt under a Fair Isle sweater, with her sapphire engagement ring. Her woodland outfit has since been identified as a £195 Fair Isle alpaca-blend jumper by ME+EM over a pie-crust collar, a Barbour waxed jacket and earrings by Missoma.
The Cornwall photos were taken the same day Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, made their first joint public engagement since relocating to the U.K. from California in August. The Sussexes visited community organizations in Nottingham, nearly 300 miles from Cornwall. Neither Catherine nor William has publicly commented on the Sussexes’ return; William is known to have a strained relationship with his brother.
A Whole-Child Approach in the Woods
The project, by her explanation, will look at how nature, creativity and relationships can help babies and young children grow up healthy. Researchers will gather evidence, expertise and practical experience from across the U.K. and the rest of the world, and explore how developmental science can be applied in nature-based settings. The palace said in a statement that academics, early years practitioners, charities and environmental organizations will be brought in.
“We believe that taking a whole-child approach is important, and nature becomes a wonderful place to explore how we can successfully nurture the social and emotional skills that underpin lifelong health and wellbeing,” Catherine said in the launch video.
The Gap Between Belief and Habit
Polling commissioned by the Centre for Early Childhood found 84 percent of parents agreed that time in nature helps their child’s well-being and development. Only 33 percent said their child spends time in nature every day. Another 62 percent want their child outdoors more, and 56 percent want more nature-based experiences built into childcare and education.
Christian Guy, Executive Director of The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, called the project “a real opportunity” to shape where early years development goes next. “The Princess has long championed the importance of the earliest years and the environments in which children grow, play and learn as a golden opportunity to create a healthier, happier society for future generations,” he said.
Catherine said she hopes the research will help “build supportive environments” that put nature within easier reach of babies, young children and their families around the U.K.
In a video released last year, the princess said nature had been her “sanctuary” during her cancer diagnosis and treatment, adding: “Connecting to nature helps us to experience a deeper sense of ourselves, the world around us, and each other.”
From a Steering Group to Denmark
The Cornwall trip builds on years of work on children from pre-birth to five years of age. Catherine convened a steering group on long-lasting change in the earliest years in 2018, and the “5 Big Questions on the Under Fives” survey, carried out by Ipsos MORI, launched in January 2020. The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood followed in June 2021.
She traveled to Denmark in February 2022 to study the Danish approach to early childhood, and her early years work has taken her to Italy as well. The center launched its “Shaping Us” campaign in January 2023, and in October 2023 she and Prince William, the Prince of Wales, hosted the “Exploring our Emotional Worlds” forum with 100 young delegates nominated by 10 charities. She has also released a four-part video series on the power of nature, and her nature work includes the Mother Nature series.
Signed Off With a Single Initial
A day after the palace released the woodland photos, Catherine posted good wishes on Saturday, Oct. 17, to England’s men’s, women’s and wheelchair rugby league teams heading to Australia for the Rugby League World Cup. The message went out from the joint account she shares with William, singled out players, coaches and support staff, and ended with a single initial: “C.”
Queen Elizabeth II made her patron of both the Rugby Football League and the Rugby Football Union in 2022, roles previously held by Harry. She marked the appointments with a training day at Twickenham Stadium alongside England’s rugby union squads, when she was still known as the Duchess of Cambridge.
Ex-England rugby captain Mike Tindall, who is married to William’s cousin Zara Tindall, told listeners of his podcast, “The Good, The Bad and The Rugby,” that he later messaged England player Ellis Genge to ask whether she had gotten anything wrong. Genge replied, by Tindall’s account, that she was pretty good and really good at kicking.
Alex Payne, a co-host, joked that she looked like “a more natural rugby player” than his two co-hosts combined.
