The Duchess arriving.
The engagement was originally scheduled as part of last Wednesday's 24 hour whistlestop tour across the UK to mark the launch of 5 Big Questions. Kate revealed today over 100,000 people have completed it in its first week. The Duchess said "I'm so happy. I can't wait to see the results".
Speaking about 5 Big Questions last week, the Duchess said: "Parents, carers and families are at the heart of caring for children in the formative years, so that is why I want to listen to them. As a parent I know how much we cherish the future health and happiness of our children. The Early Years are more crucial for future health and happiness than any other moment in our lifetime. I want to hear the key issues affecting our families and communities so I can focus my work on where it is needed most."
Inside, Kate met staff and discussed the survey "It's great to visit places like this where communities come together to support one another. Last week I launched a UK wide survey on early childhood because I want to hear society’s views about raising the next generation."
As breakfast was prepared, Kate spoke to chefs about the importance of nutritious food for a child's development.
'In the kitchen, Kate chatted about nutrition with the school’s trainee chefs. Nelson-Neil joked about beets, saying: “I still can’t get them to eat it.”
Kate, who previously shared that her kids have an adventurous taste in vegetables, said, “Mine absolutely love it – it’s one of those things, until you try it, you don’t know.”
A royal surprise for the children as breakfast was served.
The Duchess set tables.
Simon Perry reports Kate poured cereal, asking them to say "Stop" when there was enough in their bowls.
She handed out a plate of fruit and asked each of the children which ones was their favourite.
Then it was time for a play session with sand and shells.
More from the Mail Online:
'Following the royal visit, LEYF chief executive June O'Sullivan said: 'You can't capture just how important the early years are. 'There's a raft of research that shows if you invest in them when they're little, if you give them the right kind of nurture, if you give them the time to speak, learn, listen and concentrate - and opportunities of personal development - then they actually grow into really capable, successful human beings.'
Kate got a high-five from several very pleased children.
The Duchess wore a stylish longline petrol blue coat for the outing. Despite numerous searches, the exact piece hasn't been found yet.
If searching for a Repli-Kate, the Jaeger Wool A-Line Coat is a nice alternative. It's currently reduced to £185 at John Lewis.
Kate's new jumper is the £90 Sézane Tulio style. The long-sleeved merino wool pullover features a lace collar and detailing on the front. The brand was created in France in 2013 by Morgane Sélazory Sézane from a desire to offer women the finest with a Parisian touch.
Kate sported her Accessorize Filigree earrings once again. The £5 pair have been sold out for some time.
And debuted a new pair of Russell & Bromley ankle boots (with thanks to AA Asisi). The Fab Dry boots are currently on sale for £145. They are described as "Gaucho styled Fab-Dry by Aquatalia are the perfect addition to your wardrobe. Crafted in weather resistant black suede, these boots are detailed with a neat stacked heel and elastic inserts."
Kensington Palace just announced an away day for William and Kate in Wales on Tuesday, 4 February:
'The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will travel to the Mumbles and Port Talbot on Tuesday 4th February to visit organisations and businesses at the heart of the local communities.
Their Royal Highnesses will first visit the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Mumbles Lifeboat station, which is one of Wales’ busiest lifeboat stations. The Duke and Duchess will board the lifeboat and will speak to crewmembers about day-to-day life as part of a team which provides 24-hour rescue services to those facing difficulties at sea.
The Duke and Duchess will visit Tata Steel in Port Talbot to meet with employees and their families at the UK’s largest steel plant, which has been operating on the site for over one hundred years.
Their Royal Highnesses’ last engagement of the day will be to the Bulldogs Development Centre. The Bulldogs is a partnership between Bulldogs Boxing & Community Activities and Port Talbot Amateur Boxing, which helps to support young people in the community who may have been affected by adverse childhood experiences and mental health issues. Set up by children’s mental health charity Place2Be, of which the Duchess of Cambridge is patron, the week shines a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health.'
Before that, we'll see the Cambridges at the BAFTAs Sunday evening.
the duchess is really fantastic with kids given the fact of fashion
ReplyDeleteLove that pop of blue!
ReplyDeleteduchess looks good on with kids even the fashion
ReplyDeleteThat coat is fab! And I want those boots 😍100,000 respondents to the survey is pretty impressive after just one week!
ReplyDeleteWow, William and Kate are really ramping up their appearances! It’s exciting =)
ReplyDeleteI know, right!? :) I just checked in to read comments from yesterday & poof another treat! :) Go Kate Go! :)
DeleteBecca USA
The coat!! Love the coat!!
ReplyDeleteHow awesome that there has been such a good first response to Catherine's survey launch!
ReplyDeleteLove the peacock blue coat, such a beautiful color.
Border Terrier lover :-)
So exciting that the response is so enthusiastic! So much will be learned, which will inform the direction of projects & programs going forward! So wonderful! :)
DeleteBecca USA
Great outfit great cause
ReplyDeleteI must have missed but the purpose of the visit is? About the survey, well, the DM is reporting 10,000 but they might be wrong. But it is not geo-blocked in any way and that anyone, anywhere in the world can take it, meaning it’s not even an accurate sampling of BRITISH views? Also people can take the survey multiple times. So, the data isn’t going to be the most scientific. I think it is a nice initative but wrong implementation.
ReplyDeleteI love her new blue coat, one of the many, but nice.
I have to agree that the survey seems very “light” at best. Not sure the data will show anything worth while as the questions are beyond obvious. Best to look at as an “awareness” venture rather than actual research.
DeleteIt’s the engagement she missed last week due to weather. And it’s over 100 000 responses in one week which is pretty impressive
DeleteI don't think it is supposed to be scientific in any way. Did you have a look at the questions? They don't allow a scientific investigation either way. I'm not sure I got it right, but it seems to me that the purpose is rather to make people start to think about these things. That migbt be the reason that the questions are so superficial.
DeleteFrom that perspective, it might be totally fine that not only British people start thinking about that, put everyone around the globe gets a chance.
Tidefi
I think another big aim with the survey is to make people feel like somebody is listening to them. Even if what they are saying is not earth shattering. And that is a huge part of the royal job description, making people feel heard and that their opinion matters. Kate has spend lots of time with the experts, so I think “listening” to the every day person is a very important step.
DeleteI think Catherine brings a huge audience and attention to the whole idea of the importance of early years. That's how she and her work play into all of this "research." She's great at drawing attention to issues, keeping it simple and getting the world's attention, really.
DeleteOf course the survey is meant to get people thinking about children's health and bring awareness to this project. Where would anyone get the idea this is scientific? I am excited that so many people are taking part, showing their interest in this fabulous project. Thanks Charlotte for your hard work. Very busy, right?
DeleteFor Pete's sake, this is NOT a scientific survey, it is intended to help Catherine FOCUS HER WORK … multiple news outlets have reported that very thing and Charlotte indicates it, again, above:
DeleteCHARLOTTE INDICATES ABOVE: Speaking about 5 Big Questions last week, the Duchess said: "Parents, carers and families are at the heart of caring for children in the formative years, so that is why I want to listen to them. As a parent I know how much we cherish the future health and happiness of our children. The Early Years are more crucial for future health and happiness than any other moment in our lifetime. I WANT TO HEAR THE KEY ISSUES AFFECTING OUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES SO I CAN FOCUS MY WORK ON WHERE IT IS NEEDED MOST (all caps my emphasis)."
And I don't agree that answers are beyond obvious, Anon 14:02, my opinion and answers to the questions would surely be different from someone else who may have different challenges facing their family.
Border Terrier lover :-)
Border Terrier lover
DeleteAgree:).
Well said, Rachel ZA, and thank you, Border Terrier lover! :-)
Delete@Sheila US: on the post about the survey there were several comments that show some people do think the survey has scientific impact (even comparing it to a longterm medical study- I kid you not). Posters questioning the set up got called out.
DeleteI wonder what is going to happen if the answers don't match her current focus. What if the majority votes for
- It is primarily the responsibility of parents to give children aged up to five the best chance of health and happiness
-the most important age period is 6-11
- the mental health of parents and carers hasn't that much of an impact on the development of children
- and deverlopment is mostly impacted by traits a child is born.
Obviously, those answers are diametral to her approach (so I disagree with people saying that there are no obvious right answers). It seems as if she wants to back up her work with the peoples opinion. Hopefully it won't backfire (don't think it will, participants will mostly be female, intersted in the BRF and think along the same lines- which isn't wrong but it falsifies the survey). It might be a try to bring the topic into the public but interested or affected people have talked about those issues for years. If her work will lead to better funding, better salaries for carers, more support for parents (especially in the treadmill between work and family) I am all for it. I am not sure though how much this survey will contribute to it.
@Border terrier lover: She said, she knows that the Early Years are more crucial [...] than any other moment [...]. But what if the majority disagrees? Where will it leave her approach? Would she drop it? Will she continue to campaign for it?
C.
I think if the results are completely opposite to her approach she will continue to campaign for it but she will diversify her visits. If people believe 6-11 is the most crucial age group I guess she will start visiting and promoting programes focusing on those years. If people believe carers are most important, she will divide her efforts between children and carers support programs. At least that would be the sensible thing to do and I assume she and her team are all sensitive people.
DeleteC, I smiled, because I would answer that it is primarily the responsibility of parents to give children aged up to five the best chance of health and happiness...not the obvious answer then for everyone and I thought it was! Female interested in the BRF do not automatically think along the same lines, it seems.
DeleteI believe that the survey is more a way to raise awareness and start a conversation, like we do here. There are no wrong answers. As for participants, she is launching the survey in all kind of places, we may be in the minority.
FYI : It’s really hard to write a survey. It’s really hard to make sure the questions are neutral enough to to get truthful answers. It’s really hard to get multiple choices that don’t lead the participants to the result your organization thinks it wants to hear.
DeleteWell, C, how would I know? It seems to me that Catherine will move forward similar to how she has been building her knowledge base with regards to her patronages, by continuing to do her homework and consulting with experts. Since I do not work for her, I will assume that she will do the same with the results of this survey and proceed from there.
DeleteParents come from all sorts of backgrounds and face many different challenges, just as the variety of Catherine's visits earlier in the week illustrate. Growing up with food insecurity, family members who abuse alcohol or drugs, are incarcerated, have medical issues and expenses that can lead to homeless situations, etc. are very easily a legacy for the next generation because the children in those circumstances are not given the same opportunities as others more well off and the parent or caregiver doesn't have the resources or know how to access available resources that could help them.
Border Terrier lover :-)
Love her outfit The colour of her coat is fabulous Great to dredge is keeping the big 5 questions momentum going xx
ReplyDeleteWow, Kate is busy! Great response to her project!
ReplyDeleteI love the stylish colour combination but most of all, I love that we get to see Kate again! It's great that when the event had to be called off last week, it was just rescheduled, not cancelled. Can't wait for more pictures! Thank you, Charlotte! Kate does keep you busy these days, doesn't she? 😀
ReplyDeleteI agree Zora, very stylish color combination! I am really liking Kate's smart separates dressing lately. Love the coat, the boots, and think the sweater is a nice soft touch. A perfect casual look for the event. Happy to see as much of Kate as we have lately! cc
DeleteLoving this flow of Kate appearances and totally loving this smart casual look. She is so glowing and confident she is these days - queen in waiting indeed! So proud to have her and William as the future of the monarchy. Annie, UK
ReplyDeleteI can totally understand that you' re proud to have them, Annie! 😃
DeleteThe Duchess of Cambridge shines around children. She is definitely in her element. Thanks, Charlotte.
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see so much of Duchess Catherine :)
ReplyDeleteShe truly seems to be in her element here.
That being said, IMHO this style of trousers take away from her beautiful outfit.
Britain's respondents can be filtered out by IP addresses and other data. I would love them to extend the survey worldwide and publish combined results, "british" results and "foreign" results.
ReplyDeleteLove to see Kate so passionate about her Early Years work. This promises to be an exciting project in the years to come!
ReplyDeleteI think I saw something on Instagram about Kate's coat being a Jigsaw piece (if it helps) however, I lost the link *sigh*.
Love Avee
Scrolling through pictures here and elsewhere, it’s just occurred to me that she does a lot less fiddling with her hair than she used to, I know she was handling food today so was probably aware of the hygiene implications but in general there’s a lot less than there was, a sign of her greater confidence now?
ReplyDeleteI really like the coat, great pop of color. even like the shirt though its a bit fussy for my taste. love the boots but someone please start a fire in one of her many fireplaces in one of her homes and throw those pants in and all the other skinny pants she owns. they look unprofessional and she is getting older and these are just not flattering in anyway to me, but I don't think skin tight is flattering on anyone. how much longer will this fad last?? fingers crossed its over soon. (but not holding me breath:) lol
ReplyDeleteBorder Terrier lover :-) -
I agree with all you said above in your reply about the early years initiative 5 questions, so agree that the answers to the questions are Not obvious as everyone has differing opinions, you put into words what I thought as well, thank you!!!
I guess that if the answers that come back on the survey are not the "obvious" ones, then that has important indications. I would think the comments would be most valuable -- and may provide some helpful demographics.
DeleteIt’s funny you say that about the skinny jeans. I was thinking if anyone could rock the skinny jeans, it’s the duchess. She has such amazing amazing legs..why not show them off. You’re right they are not so professional looking though.
DeleteI am glad I am not the only one who thinks the super skinny jeans have to go at this stage. I like everything else but those pants, sartorially speaking, ruin this outfit for me.
DeleteLiv
I strongly disagree. Why shouldn't she wear skinny jeans? Because she is too old? Honestly? Because it's unprofessional? Skinny jeans are an accepted type of pants at many normal joby in Europe nowadays (dark if the setting is more severe). Maybe not in every law firm and some positions at financial institues but overall you see them everywhere.
DeleteThe majority of European women the same age (and elder and younger) can much better identify with her in this outfit than her wide-legged pants or culottes. The whole outfit is a pretty accurate look into modern European business wear. It is one of her best outfits in that sense- most Europeans would say she is dressed on point: Relaxed business and approachable.
What is your age limit for skinnys then?
Obviously it's fine to not liking certain looks/fashion trend and saying so. I hate midi length, little ms prairie dresses, wide legged pants and when she buttons up to her chin. But I wanted to provide you with a more European perspective on her outfit because we absolutely do differ from the US here.
C.
Even in the US women wear skinny jeans in professional settings. Iif paired with the proper top you can look very business smart, as the duchess does.she looks polished for her day out and I don’t think that they are unflattering at all, she clearly didn’t throw on jeans and run. She was attentive in getting dressed to look appropriate and put together for the event.
DeleteI agree with Caroline. These super tight pants should be banned. No matter how good legs one has.
DeleteAgree with C. I'm in the US, in my late 60's and am in the large cohort that wear skinny jeans. To the office or socially. I see nothing that is age specific or age limiting in wearing skinny jeans.
DeleteI can’t wear skinny anything ! I like the Duchess in modern clothes, better than looking dowdy.
DeleteLaura, I'm with you! Also upper 60s ad love my skinny jeans. I wear them to work, church, everywhere I choose. I'm a country girl and love the look. If I had Kate's legs, I would love them even more! Haha
DeleteThis color blue looks so great on her! I always love events with kids, she seems to happy and in her element.
ReplyDeleteKate has the magic touch with children. Love the coat!
ReplyDeleteLovely outfit. The coat is a gorgeous colour, but the Duchesses' sweater is so pretty. The lace detail is stunning, feminine piece. She is so wonderful with the children. Her sweet, soft nature shines through. The Duchess is doing great work
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work Duchess Kate!
ReplyDeleteJust want to say: WANT THAT COAT. Omg what a gorgeous color. I also love the sweater, skinny jeans and booties. Very casual and chic look that nonetheless sends the message that she's not trying to be a princess. She's so lovely and natural with kids. As much as I respect the other senior working royals very few of them have that natural rapport with kids.
ReplyDeleteThis color coat combined with the beautiful sweater is one of my all time faves. So, so pretty!!
ReplyDeleteLooking good again. Love the coat color and boots. The sweater is very pretty but too fussy for me. It was a good outfit for the event.
ReplyDeleteI feel like we are in the midst of a Festival Of Riches!!!! So many events for Kate, as well as Will & Kate!! Yay! I Can NOT Wait to see what she wears to BAFTA!!!! :) (I actually had a film that had it's Screening at the Bafta 195 last May! It was such a thrill & honor! Lot's of pics with the gold mask!) That's when I was there for Archie's Birth! I was staying in Mayfair & saw the news when it was announced & could see the announcement/color change etc on the tall thingy (can't remember the name) from my window. I then happened to be in Windsor with friends the next day when Harry gave his spontaneous interview & some of you may remember me mentioning that I even met "Terry" who was waiting there for the announcement of the name! I still treasure my selfie with "Terry" & how he lit up when I told him about these blogs & how he's quite the celebrity to all of us! :) xx
ReplyDeleteBecca USA
I absolutely adore having surprise engagements pop up like this!!! We have been spoiled 3 days in a row!! She look gorgeous today and all smiles as she greeted the children!!! Loved this engagement very much and loved seeing her interact in shaping what route she will take with the 5 Questions!! I’m eager to see the results myself! ❣️
ReplyDeleteSandra from Canada - The Duchess of Cambridge has really grown into her role and represents the crown with duty, dignity and grace. She just gets better every year and has matured into a beautiful woman. I admire her stepping up to the role and supporting Prince William in his duty.
ReplyDeleteWell done Catherine!
This is a lot of engagements! Do you think it's just to get the new year off to a good start, a sign of things to come, to show support for Charles (and to emphasize the lineage) amid the Andrew situation? We're used to maybe one engagement a week, but these must have been planned many weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is more than usual, those last years I have come to expect engagements on Tuesday and Wednesday, sometimes on Thursday, definitely more than once a week. What I had noticed lately is that Kate was having more and more private engagements. It is nice that the new year has brought so many public engagements.
Deletekate is such a lovely woman
ReplyDelete