Princess Kate nature early childhood project marks a new research push
Woodland portraits taken by a familiar royal photographer accompany Catherine's latest study on how digital-age children develop outdoors.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, has commissioned a new research and practical testing initiative to explore how nature-rich environments support the social and emotional development of babies and young children, Kensington Palace and The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood announced on Friday, October 16.
The announcement arrived alongside a video message and three new portraits of the Princess of Wales taken in a woodland setting in Cornwall by photographer Josh Shinner. The initiative is being developed in partnership with The Duchy of Cornwall, which is managed by Prince William, Prince of Wales.
The push for outdoor learning
In her video message, Catherine emphasized the connection between time spent outdoors and long-term personal wellbeing, outlining the goals behind the research.
“New scientific research increasingly shows just how important nature is for our psychological and physiological wellbeing,” the Princess of Wales said in the video message released by Kensington Palace. “Nature is such an extraordinary environment for us all and, in this tech-driven, digital age, spending quality time outdoors has never been more important.”
The Princess explained that the work is designed to study early development through a wider lens. “This project is about exploring how nature, creativity and relationships can best support the healthy development of babies and young children,” she said. “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.”
She added: “My hope is that through this practical, nature-based research, we can build supportive environments that help make nature more accessible, benefiting babies, young children and their families across the UK.”
A visit to Cornwall and a familiar photographer
Ahead of Friday’s announcement, Prince William and Catherine made an in-person visit on Thursday, October 15, to Nansledan, Newquay, a sustainable development site managed by the Duchy of Cornwall. During the visit, the couple observed nature-based learning environments tailored to early years education.
For the visit and the woodland portrait session, Catherine wore an alpaca wool-blend ME+EM Fair Isle sweater and a Barbour jacket, as reported by Town & Country and the Daily Mail. Shinner, who took the photos, has worked with the family before: he captured their 2023 official Christmas card as well as Prince Louis’s seventh birthday portrait in April 2025.
Royal correspondents and outlets, including People and Hello!, observed that the morning release of the portraits and the nature campaign coincided directly with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s public joint appearance in Nottingham, England.
Building toward 2027
Catherine established The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in June 2021 to drive research and awareness around the formative early years. In January 2023, she expanded that work by launching the centre’s flagship public awareness campaign, Shaping Us.
The new nature research is designed to lay the groundwork for a broader early years programme scheduled to roll out in 2027. Specific commercial or non-profit pilot locations outside the Duchy of Cornwall estate have not yet been confirmed, and Kensington Palace has not released an exact operational launch date or budget details for the 2027 rollout.
