Princess of Wales makes friends with young fan as she unveils latest stage of early years campaign

The Princess of Wales told a little boy he had done ‘so well’ as she watched researchers monitoring his brainwaves in a research facility today.

Mikail, aged three, wore a cap with receptors stuck to it on his head as he interacted through a monitor with his mother Safia, who was sitting on the other side of a partition in ‘The Magic Box’ at the University of East London‘s Institute for the Science of Early Years and Youth.

Students examined how the electrical impulses in his brain reacted when he saw his mother in real time and then again with a two-second lag as part of research into the importance of parental responses to their children’s’ needs in terms of brain development.

A clearly-fascinated Catherine, smartly dressed in a camel-coloured Roland Mouret trouser suit and matching heels, watched intently as the experiment took place.

‘What are your stickers of here?’ she asked him afterwards, pointing to some space stickers he was playing with.

Mikail, who had been incredibly patient up until that point, understandably decided enough was enough.

‘I want to take it off,’ he said repeatedly.

‘Do you want to take it off?’ the princess asked. ‘Is it sticky? Is it itchy? Well done you. You did so well. Was it fun? Did you enjoy doing that? Is it tickling you? ‘

‘It’s ticking me, it hurts,’ smiled Mikail.

The princess was launching a ‘pivotal’ new stage in her public work helping the youngest in society with the engagement near Stratford.

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The Princess of Wales meets with Mikhail, three, as she learns about wearable technology

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The Princess hears about social and emotional development in the ‘Imaginarium’ room

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The Princess of Wales learns about brain recording techniques at the ‘Foundations for Life: A Guide to Social and Emotional Development’ launch at the University of East London today

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The Princess of Wales speaks with Mikhail, three, as she learns about wearable technology

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The Princess of Wales meets families with babies and young children to discuss her research

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The Princess of Wales smiles as she arrives at the University of East London this afternoon

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The Princess hears about social and emotional development in the ‘Imaginarium’ room

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The Princess of Wales learns about brain recording techniques at the University of East London

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The Princess of Wales meets families with babies and young children to discuss her research

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The Princess of Wales smiles as she meets students on early years courses in London

Her Centre for Early Childhood, which she founded in 2021, has launched a new online resource for everyone working with babies, young children and their families.

‘Foundations for Life: A Guide to Social and Emotional Developments’ has been designed to strengthen understanding across the early years system of why social and emotional development matters so profoundly, and how these skills begin to take shape from the very earliest months of life.

It comes as Kensington Palace announced that the princess would undertake her first official foreign visit for almost four years next week when she travels to Italy with her early years team.

It will be published on a new hub on the Centre’s website, bringing together all its resources for professionals and practitioners.

In the foreword to the guide, the Princess writes: ‘In a world which feels increasingly distracted, fragmented and digital… it is more important than ever to invest in what truly helps us to thrive: human connection.’

She emphasises that by the age of five, a child’s brain has grown to 90 per cent of its adult size, making early childhood a critical window for developing the social and emotional skills that will prove the bedrock of adult life.

She adds: ‘While our society often focuses on academic or physical milestones, research consistently shows that it is our earliest relationships, experiences and environments which lay the foundations for our future health and happiness.

‘The quality of our connections – with ourselves, with others and with the world around us – shapes how safe we feel, how we relate, and how we process experiences throughout our lives.’

The princess began her visit by chatting with mother Ashleigh, who was with her daughters Ella, five, who was wearing another brain and stress level monitor; Ava, two; and one-year old Mia.

She frequently works with the university team and was keen to speak to Catherine about the challenges of parenting, particularly in an urban environment.

Introduced by the institute’s director, Professor Sam Wass, Ashleigh said she ‘tried her best, like all mums do’ but found it challenging after the birth of her first child in lockdown.

She said she still gets ‘a lot of mum’ guilt when being bombarded by parenting advice, particularly on social media, about what is the right thing to do but did seek out advice from doctors and health visitors, as well as family and friends.

‘It sounds like you have really gone out there and sought those relationships and that knowledge for you as a family,’ the princess said.

‘Do the parents you chat to, are they interested in whether the guidance they are being given is founded on evidence?

‘It does take energy and effort to go and find that village [of support] for yourself.’

Catherine also talked about the challenges of ‘keeping up in real time’ as a parent with social media, along with new medical and scientific research.

Afterwards she visited the ‘Imaginarium’, a small room with video playing on the walls, which records the effects that different environments and stimuli have on young children, such as a busy nursery environment or a woodland glade with mother Ronnie and her daughter Margot, three.

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The Princess watches as children wear monitors and stress sensors in different situations

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The Princess of Wales is greeted outside the University of East London this afternoon

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The Princess of Wales meets families with babies and young children to discuss her research

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The Princess watches as children wear monitors and stress sensors in different situations

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The Princess of Wales smiles as she arrives at the University of East London this afternoon

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The Princess watches as children wear monitors and stress sensors in different situations

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The Princess of Wales meets families with babies and young children to discuss her research

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The Princess of Wales is greeted outside the University of East London this afternoon

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The Princess of Wales meets families with babies and young children to discuss her research

Sitting down on a cushion cross-legged, the royal listened intently as the science behind the idea was explained to her.

Walking to a reception across the campus to she stopped to chat to two astonished students who got wind of her visit.

Janna, 28, a medical science student said afterwards: ‘She was asking what course I did and whether I liked it here. And she asked me if my exams had finished and said I must have been relieved.’

Nicole, 21, another medical student who was squealing with excitement afterwards added: ‘She was so pleasant and so interested. I could tell she had a good heart.’

She then sat to chat to a group of students to see how her Centre’s resources were being used in their day to day work.

‘Is there anything missing?’ she asked. ‘Society is changing so rapidly that being able to keep up in real life is difficult.’

Before she left, she chatted with vice chancellors and further education college chief executives from around the UK who have publicly committed to embedding her centre’s foundational knowledge into early years training and was given goody bags for each of her own three children featuring teddies wearing a mortar board on their heads.

Staff said the visit had been designed to allow her to meet families with babies and young children to discuss the research and the importance of having a trusted network of professionals who can offer clear, consistent advice early in a child’s life.

Researchers were also keen so show her how pioneering brain recording techniques to study how the diverse early living environments and relationships experienced by babies influence early stress – both in the child themselves and their parents and caregivers.

Professor Amanda Broderick, vice chancellor and president of UEL, said: ‘At the University of East London, we sit at the intersection of research, education and community.

‘Our work in early childhood combines cutting-edge science with real-world application, and our scale as a provider of early years and health professional training means we can embed this knowledge across the future workforce.

‘Alongside fellow higher education together with further education leaders who have committed to a shared pledge, and in partnership with the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, we have a unique opportunity to help lead the shift from insight to implementation: embedding a consistent understanding of social and emotional development across systems and improving outcomes for children across the life course, ensuring every child has the foundations they need to flourish and thrive.’

The princess and her Centre say they want the social and emotional development of children to be put on an equal footing with physical and cognitive development by health and education professionals.

In the months ahead, the Centre will work closely with leaders across the early years system to embed this understanding into entry‑level training and ongoing professional development, helping to ‘create the conditions in which love can flourish, and children can thrive’.