In January and February of this year, the Princess of Wales “launched” the latest variation of her “awareness-raising campaign” for Early Years. Every year for the past four years, she’s been relaunching this dumb thing, which always amounts to the same thing: the Early Years are important, did you know those years are important, let me tell you that they’re very important. That’s it. Kate has never tied these campaigns to a fundraiser for any of the child-development programs which are being slashed. Kate has never tied these campaigns to direct action of any kind. This year, people finally started criticizing her for her busy-work. The busy-work has always lacked substance, lacked urgency, lacked direction, lacked a mission. Credible experts were actually fed up, and American outlets even lodged some pointed criticism at Princess BusyWork. Kate hasn’t even mentioned Early Years anything in months, right? Well, good news – a government committee cited Kate for special acknowledgement for… raising awareness.
Kate Middleton is being celebrated by U.K. Parliament. The Princess of Wales, 41, was recognized for raising awareness around the importance of the early years in the House of Commons Education Committee’s “Support for childcare and the early years” report, released last week. Princess Kate got a shout-out for the ongoing work of her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, established in June 2021 and the most significant step in her long-term mission to help kids and parents.
“The Princess of Wales has done important work to raise the profile of the Early Years through her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. Its 2020 report ‘State of the Nation: Understanding Public Attitudes to the Early Years’ stressed the importance of elevating the importance of the early years period in the public consciousness,” the Education Committee said in the paper, published July 18.
“The ECEC sector is independent, multi-faceted and diverse, and does not always benefit from the same structural lines of communication through local authorities as the school sector. More outreach and strong channels of communication between the sector and the Government are needed to ensure that practitioners feel both valued and heard,” it continued. The committee also suggested that change is needed to improve low morale among early years practitioners, particularly around pay.
“More outreach and strong channels of communication between the sector and the Government are needed to ensure that practitioners feel both valued and heard.” See, Kate can’t even do that. She can’t even use her position to center the underpaid, undervalued early-years practitioners. Because she’s too busy taking credit for their work and pretending that she alone is “raising awareness.” Anyway, this is the kind of treading-water gold star that bureaucracies love to give. Kate isn’t challenging anyone in government, she’s not bringing up uncomfortable questions about the lack of funding for children’s programs or working families. She’s seen as a good little girl who does safe little nonsense projects and everyone pats her on the head and says “how delightfully apolitical, how unimportant.”
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Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Kensington Palace, Cover Images.
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- MccLi0002556 EDDIE MULHOLLAND ROTA:Prince and Princess of Wales at BAFTA,Image: 752916837, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Eddie Mulholland for The Telegraph / Avalon
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- MccLi0002556 EDDIE MULHOLLAND ROTA:Prince and Princess of Wales at BAFTA,Image: 752916847, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Eddie Mulholland for The Telegraph / Avalon
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- MccLi0002556 EDDIE MULHOLLAND ROTA:Prince and Princess of Wales at BAFTA,Image: 752918023, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Eddie Mulholland for The Telegraph / Avalon
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- LEEDS, ENGLAND – JANUARY 31: Catherine, Princess of Wales joins students on the Childhood Studies programme at the University of Leeds on January 31, 2023 in Leeds, England. Catherine, Princess of Wales is undertaking engagements in London and Leeds this week as part of the launch of the Shaping Us campaign to raise awareness of the unique importance of early childhood.,Image: 753110452, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Jackson / Avalon
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- WINDSOR, ENGLAND – JUNE 06: Catherine, Princess of Wales spends time with a group accessing the early years set of services during a visit to the Windsor Family Hub on June 06, 2023 in Windsor, England. The Windsor Family Hub is run by Achieving for Children, a not-for-profit community interest company providing children’s services for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The Princess has dedicated her time to raising awareness of the critical importance of early childhood and in January 2023, with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, launched Shaping Us, a campaign which aims to transform the issue of early childhood, from one of scientific interest to one of the most strategically important topics of our time.,Image: 781760572, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Jackson / Avalon
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- Catherine, Princess of Wales in Kirkgate Market in Leeds, West Yorkshire, where she is meeting vendors and members of the public for the launch of the Shaping Us campaign which is raising awareness of the unique importance of early childhood. Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Leeds, England, United Kingdom When: 31 Jan 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
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- Catherine, Princess of Wales arrives at the University of Leeds, West Yorkshire, where she will join students on the Childhood Studies programme which focuses on a broad approach to early childhood development, during her visit to the city for the launch of the Shaping Us campaign to raise awareness of the unique importance of early childhood. Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Leeds, England, United Kingdom When: 31 Jan 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
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- Catherine, Princess of Wales hosts the inaugural meeting of her new Business Taskforce for Early Childhood at NatWest’s headquarters in the City of London where they will discuss why Early Childhood is so critical for business. Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 21 Mar 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Catherine, Princess of Wales hosts the inaugural meeting of her new Business Taskforce for Early Childhood at NatWest’s headquarters in the City of London where they will discuss why Early Childhood is so critical for business. Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 21 Mar 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Catherine, Princess of Wales hosts the inaugural meeting of her new Business Taskforce for Early Childhood at NatWest’s headquarters in the City of London where they will discuss why Early Childhood is so critical for business. Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: London, United Kingdom When: 21 Mar 2023 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Celebrating keens laziness. Why not a shout out to researchers and activists who have doing this for years.
Who did she work on to get this praise? I remember when Meg was being roasted when she was there and the ladies of parliament came to her defense. Is this coming because Can’t whined about that and thought she needed to be praised?
The Committee is made up of eleven members, seven of whom are Tories (and one of whom has the name Mrs Flick Drummond, which isn’t relevant but it is absurd). It seems possible it’s just bootlickers licking boots.
I wonder if the main intention of the committee wasn’t praise, but name-dropping. This piece sounds like “See? Even the RF thinks this important. Too bad they’re stuck with Kate.
I’m sure many politicians love Kate’s EY work, because it IS so bland and pointless and vague.
Obviously some politicians want change and want to improve programs etc, but for those that don’t, Kate’s EY work is ideal bc they can act like they’re supporting something when they’re actually……not.
Her work hasn’t criticised the government so of course the politicians will praise it.
She hasn’t asked those politicians for funds to actually support real programs. Programs that already existed and could use help from such a committed Princess.
It’s a massive stretch to even call it “work”. She issues a statement, once a year-ish. That is the beginning and end of her “work”.
She is such a joke.
It’s such a joke
@ Lorelei, I think that we all wish it was a joke, given her position to make actual changes.
Imagine being this mediocre and being given praise on a continuous basis. It’s quite revolting actually.
Agreed. I don’t know what is happening in England, that this is what their government is applauding.
Kitty could do so much in her position, but she won’t. Ever.
It’s praising someone for saying the dead obvious. Of course no mention of the slashing of Sure start, the Labour govt program that actually helped kids. Instead they pretend this tax payer funded airhead is doing something of value.
The worst part is that over the last decade the money they have given to Kate could have helped so many kids. Instead she needs new coatdresses and helicopter rides. If kate had a soul she would feel guilty for this, but she doesn’t.
WORD.
It is a conservative government and they never do anything to improve or further fund the important education or intervention programs and experts that practitioners and educators have been running for decades on the smell of an oily rag. Then along comes this ignorant, but titled and expensively-dressed upstart to “raise awareness” once a year. She is such a thickhead she couldn’t even cobble together some ideas – by real experts – freely available on the internet , to show she did at least a modicum of researc Next thing you know, the current idiotic government will be pushing hard to have her made a Dame…
A rubber stamp and gold star from Parliament doesn’t change the fact Kate did not study early childhood education or worked with children in a meaningful way. Nor has she stepped up to talk to the right politicians to make change. Kate is a lightweight and people know it.
Yes, neither her work or these words actually have a positive impact on the children who need it. But hey, let’s not talk about child poverty figures for the last 13 years and draw attention to how massively children are being failed.
There was two weeks of PR and then nothing. Her people don’t know how to plan campaigns — there should be multiple touch points, not a hit and run speaking engagement and video.
If only she had a sister-in-law who could help/give her some advice. Oh, wait.
,,,or a sister-in-law with a Masters in early childhood education.
@ Emily, that she be Keens tagline!!! Keens hit and run efforts are praised by Parliament.
Oh wait, that she be Sophiestas campaign….
I’d completely forgotten that the new (est) name of this nonsense was “Shaping Us” until I saw the billboard in one of the photos in this post. Everything she does is so utterly forgettable.
Sounds like someone needed a morale boost. Is morale that low in Adelaide Cottage? Is someone feeling so ignored she asked for the attention of a nation for doing nothing since she couldn’t get it from her husband?
They’re praising a report that came out in 2020 and Kate’s foundation for Early Something wasn’t started until 2021. So, basically, nothing done in the past 2 years.
Now @ Eurydice, we shouldn’t forget about her claymation campaign, shouldn’t we??
What’s next, Keen becomes keen on the challenges of tennis court placements??
Good point. Molding all those little clay figures takes time and probably made during fun family “arts & crafts” nights. The kids love sculpture.
She also went down a slide!!!, in some equally white country!
But, but, the results from Kate’s dumbtastic 5 Big Questions survey came out in Nov. 2020. There were PIE CHARTS and pictures of Kate sitting at desk with an “interesting” book collection on it (I believe-recollections may vary). How can Parliament not mention Kate’s contribution to not much? lol
Mission accomplished, I guess. Now what?
Nothing, absolutely nothing.
The establishment there only tolerates her because of her position (temporary position). It’s just a matter of time before they had that feeds them (tabloids) turns on them for profit. They’re sitting on a treasure trove of intel and are just biding their time until they’re allowed to use it. That horrific person/criminal, Dan Wootton, isn’t the only person gathering information and feeding it to the tabloids and other sources. Her days are numbered once her husband decides he’s had enough. She should enjoy this “praise” while it lasts.
The press are just waiting on William’s go-ahead to start attacking her.
My response when reading this headliner is Ariana Grande’s side eye in the headliner’s pic right next to this story.
The influence and power of the RF has metastasized both up and down and sideways. This is the reason that Dan Wootton will come out smelling like a rose. Just a quiet word whispered into the right ear can work wonders and make things happen. Praise from Parliament? Whose idea was that? No one has that kind of influence except Charles.
*searches for camera* I’m keen to learn about the Early Years, it’s important y’know.
That one photo where she is looking at the camera with her hand on herself in the pretend surprise moment while the rest of the row if looking straight ahead is so pathetically posed.
She’s so fake and desperate for attention but literally does nothing for it.
When Diana campaigned against landmines the government felt it was diametrically opposed to their interests in international arms deals and branded her a loose cannon. When the media did their best to other and malign her she joked off hand that ‘men in white coats’ were going to drag her off during a speech. She fought for what she believed in and pushed back against her detractors.
Getting a pat on the head by the government for ‘her work’ is not the flex Kate thinks it is.
This exactly.
They saw two things with H and M as a team : more popular than the rest and potentially ‘too political’ which doesn’t mean too political at all just the wrong brand of politics. The royals are all political animals, they simply tow the Tory line. Kate’s lazy busy work photo ops is exactly what they want.
Yes, “political” also means “visibly effective, which makes us look bad.” If Diana had limited herself to murmuring “Land mines are bad,” then there wouldn’t have been such an uproar. Fortunately for Kate, she’s not capable of doing more than repeating “Arly Years are Important.” If she actually supported early years work and organizations and if she really could come up with concrete suggestions, then she’d be “political,” too.
This is sooo on point! Diana was passionate and didn’t mind ruffling feathers for the greater good. Kate would never! Kate takes her cues from the grey men/ white coats and behaves accordingly. I think she views herself as a “good little soldier” which makes her part of the problem…
Diana had a heart. Kate… I don’t think she has one.
@ Moondust, Keen not only doesn’t have a heart but she also doesn’t have a soul. Keens sole purpose is to keep her current position and marriage, that is ALL that Keen is wiling to put forth any effort.
@ anniefannie, yes!!! Diana was the complete opposite, ruffling feathers, giving speeches and support to the causes that desperately needed it!! Diana’s activism towards AIDS/HIV was tremendous!!!
Placing Keen in the same sentence, or paragraph as Diana is an insult to everything that Diana was.
I think putting your sister in law out for media attacks based on false stories and causing a miscarriage is confirmation she is a sociopath.
Diana, with her blue blood and privileged upbringing, only wanted to make herself useful. She was never all right with just taking up space. No part of the world was beyond her notice or unworthy of her care, and she was extremely grateful that her position as Princess of Wales allowed her to affect so may lives and causes. Who would ever be able to describe Kate in that way?
@Nic919 – you cannot “cause” a miscarriage through stress. There is no evidence stress causes miscarriage, and with attacks on reproductive rights, it’s important not to signal-boost dangerous misinformation just because it fits your narrative.
Extreme stress can do that, especially when in an advanced maternal age and I have a personal friend who had a miscarriage because of it. So my narrative fits quite well.
Kate is the antithesis of Diana: Kate is lazy, shortsighted, cowardly.
She can claim Diana’s title, and her engagement ring, and Kate may even someday be queen, but never in the ways that Diana managed to be — even without the title.
Kate makes it about her posing in outfits and.playing to the cameras. Never mind giving credit to experts in the field.
All her life she has been told she is all that and more. She believes this, has bought into this, especially since the POW title. The air pressure in this balloon is going to erupt into a massive explosion.
It’s obvious that she sucks ass when she tries to give a speech that she hasn’t practiced. No one has told her she’s not good at it and then in real life when real people see how bad she is, they try to come up with excuses like being shy or other nonsense. It’s been 12 years. No more excuses for being so bad at this.
Cue the clay m ation video and pie charts. Barbie goes to parliament outfit with briefcase.
When all you do is “raise awareness” of something most people are already well aware of, you’re pretty damn useless.
Soooo, remember how I posted on Friday, where I said, stand by for the media campaign because NO, they aren’t worried about Harry’s court case, they are scared of it, hence them all going of tour, well the media campaign has started, but I love the fact that they have to go back 2 years to find something to talk about instead of “what katey wore” lol. There is a petition going strong to abolish the monarchy, let’s see if it ever gets a hearing in parliament because it’s supposed to when it reaches 100,000
Mary Pester, is this the first time that a petition has going around? You’ll have to keep us up on how it’s going. Getting 100,000 signatures will take some time, but it’ll be interesting to see what happens at that point. This should be a HUGE red flag to the Tories and brf. Maybe instead of the brf worrying about tours in Commonwealth countries they should spend more time looking at their backyards.
It is like raising awareness that the sun rises and sets in 24 hours. So damn useless.
I keep waiting—and hoping — to hear that she’s cranked it up a notch: Nutrition in the early years and beyond — coupled with lunch and after school snack programs at school and rec centers; Mental Health in the early years — promoting and funding school and community based play therapy, art therapy, and family support services; Sports for All — ensuring that kids of all ages have the resources and facilities to try out and enjoy a variety of athletic experiences— including the expensive ones; things that fit with her interests — or at least with what she claims are her interests, coupled with some sort of practical interventions.
I don’t know if this is an issue in GB, but in recent weeks, I’ve bought lottery tickets — fantasizing about being able to support programs to support kids in foster care, particularly as they age out of programs with limited resources. (Maybe other countries do better and more consistent jobs of supporting these kids and young adults in achieving independence?) And programs to support the elderly, especially those who live alone. I can’t imagine what it’s like to have the kind of audience that Kate has access to — and not using it for Good.
@Blithe, your first paragraph is enraging, because Kate could absolutely be working to implement every single one of those valuable ideas, but instead, she always has and always will simply 1) buy new clothes to 2) get her photo ops in and then 3) consider her work done, the end. It’s obscene
She has two jobs : buy absurdly expensive (ugly) clothes and pose for pictures (that get photoshopped to high heaven). Somehow that makes a lot of people feel like she’s doing something. It still shocks me, the people I know who defend these grifters.
It’s puzzling to me, too. As an American, I expect some value from my tax dollars. Frankly, there are only two things this article gives her credit for. 1) she’s raised awareness about the importance of the early years; and 2) the Center for Early Childhood created in 2021 submitted a report in 2023. That’s it. Well, also clothes and photos.
How long has she been working on this? This is all she has to show for it? Has she even attempted to raise any funds that could be used to help children? She’s allowed to do that isn’t she? What a waste of space she is.
@saucy&sassy, I will let you know how it’s going lovey, it’s on fb, and they signatures are growing 🤣
To give Kate her due, she went to a ‘meeting’ aka photo op with a notebook with NOTEBOOK printed on the front (in case she got confused) and had those business barbie in front of big, important looking buildings taken. That was impactful, or so the press said 🤣🤷
@saucy&sassy, just had a quick look, it’s UP TO 48,000 already today!!
Seeing that photo of her posing in The City surrounded by skyscrapers, just…standing there, smiling, made me laugh at it all over again today. It is just so, so hilariously stupid. Possibly dumber than the pie chart photos.
There’s long been a meme going around social media that lists Kate’s life accomplishments vs. Meghan’s. Kate has about three things under hers and Meghan has five times that. Kate wants more things on her list. She’ll get someone to work hard at that for her.
And the three things are getting a basic undergrad degree, working part time at Jigsaw (for a few months) and working for her parents.
To be fair they didn’t include the summer she worked on yachts and the manager praised her short shorts.
Am I missing something? What has Keen specifically done, based on data, that no other British citizen has to warrant being praised in parliament? And the British people that actually improve children’s lives—do they also get honored like this? It kills me that a woman who spent more than half a decade to put together a survey of a few questions, who essentially has mentioned such groundbreaking truths that poverty has a terrible impact on young children, etc, gets praised for this??
Of course they praised this bone idle woman, she talks, just like they do, she fails to take any meaningful steps or actions, just like they do, she fails to mention that children’s parents are having to rely on food banks, so their early years are impacted, she fails to mention the need for mandated free school meals, so hunger doesn’t impact their early years. In other words, Kate is the tory party wet dream. A public figure who talks bullsht, introduces a scheme, then drops out of site. No more action, no more words, and no money spent on it.
Even the praise is a mess that mirrors the nothingness of the campaign. “It’s 202 report stressed the importance of elevating the importance of early years.” What in the heck even is that statement? Embarrassing.
They’re trying to praise something that is not praise-worthy. This garbled, non-sensical rubbish is the best they could come up with.
“Stressed the importance of elevating the importance”
I just— that’s saying absolutely nothing 😭
I have a vague memory of a clip of bethany frankel’s failed talk show episode where she had Omarosa on and this woman dragged her up and down park avenue and then wiped the floor with her; i.e. basically called frankel a mediocre white woman who had basically been gifted a talk show. It was embarrassing to watch. This business with kate reminded me of this. One only has to compare Meghan’s cv to hers.
I just can’t with this stupid twat. Don’t they get how this sort of BS makes the country look bad? But go ahead with all the problems they have already, make your own educational system look worthless. Both Kate and Willy having degrees from Uni is a bad bad joke.
Agreed. How did she ever manage to earn her degree? University is serious work, even for art studies. Did she get special treatment because she was dating Bullyam?
Kkkhate seems terribly basic and verges on being non-conversant at every event, as though she deliberately mumbles to avoid criticism for her utter lack of preparation and involvement. Her jazz hands are meant to draw attention from her meaningless drivel. It’s difficult to see her as an educated person.
Her degree is a basic undergrad degree. Plus she was known to copy off others in class. It’s also likely she got tutors or just had someone else do the work in her name. I don’t know how many actual exams she had to write so if it was mostly papers, she could easily get someone else to do them for her. In the early 2000s this would be easy to do.
Yes @Nic919, what St. Andrew’s considers a Master’s degree is equivalent to an undergrad degree in the US. She had to have help. Chasing/stalking a prince requires a lot of time and energy. Good thing she had Uncle Hookers & Blow to help her out. Now he is another candidate (along with his sister CarolE) for a study in the Aarly Years.
Y’all Meghan’s been all over the internet with Suits breaking all kinds of streaming records. Between that and Harry’s court win, the Wails had to come up with something, lest people forget about them completely.
Whoa! They are desperate to make this droopy-faced mean girl happen.
Best comment ever!
On Twitter (I refuse to call it X) Kate was giving a speech from a recent event and the camera zoomed in on her hands holding the paper which she was reading. Her hands were shaking. As if she was afraid to be found out.
@aquarius, they are getting so desperate, they even had bullyam filipping burgers today and they were called “earthshot burgers, 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣but to us they are just plain old veggie burgers!!!
Deep down, she must suffer from a severe case of impostor syndrome— that is, if she has a shred of self-awareness
Demonstrating, once again, that the UK is not a serious country—and can’t be, as long as current conditions obtain.
Also: “The committee also suggested that change is needed to improve low morale among early years practitioners, particularly around pay.”
Interesting that the committee found a way to use Kate’s work to raise the obvious point: the sector needs more and better material support.
Now that her “work” has been politicized, will Kate stop promoting the early years?
A mention buried in a government report and they vomit up a wholeass article about it. The bar is SO LOW.
Be sure they will praise the next POW too.
I guess after Brexit, the Parliament’s new business is squabbling about Kate “Karen” Middleton and William Middletoon and Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, praising the first 2 and damning the latter, “Take away their HRH’s!!!” I’d like to say American politics are better, but the large orange one is still dominating the picture.
W found the perfect wife (learning from his dad of course). She’s dull and dense and depends on him. She can’t ever leave him no matter how many affairs he has. She thinks she’s the winner because of the luxuries she enjoys but it’s all a gilded cage. She honestly thinks she’s doing something equally as deep as anything Diana ever did but because she’s so dull and dense, anything she does lacks substance. It’s as if she put some causes in a hat and drew “early years”. Everyone claps and praises her then they move on.
As for parliament, they do this crap to impress the RF and to make it look like they are doing something too. Meanwhile, nothing changes for the better. The rich get richer and more people join the ranks of the poor.
It is seemingly obvious a ‘co-reign’ from the beginning of the new monarch, so it is fitting …….
No government based on democracy, just the optics with the Head of State
Vainglory at its best ………