Princess Kate will only return to work on one condition – as she’s kept updated on project

Royal fans were delighted today to hear the news the Princess of Wales was “excited” after her business taskforce released a landmark report which claimed that the UK could reap £45.5 billion in economic benefits if firms prioritise early childhood.

The latest update sparked hope about whether Princess Kate could return to public duties in the near future. However, Kensington Palace clarified that while Kate had been “kept fully up to date throughout the process” of producing the report, it “should not be seen as the Princess of Wales returning to work”. Sources added that the future Queen will only return to work once her doctors give her the “green light”. The Princess of Wales has been absent from royal engagements since last December, when she appeared with the rest of the Royal Family on Christmas Day.

Kate was diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer earlier this year and is currently undergoing preventative chemotherapy for it. The princess launched her long-term campaign Shaping Us in January last year, described as her “life’s work”, and aimed at highlighting the crucial first five years of a child’s life. She has been working to raise the profile of the early years development of children for some years and established her centre in 2021 as part of the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Now the Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood has produced a report recommending a range of interventions from creating a culture inside and outside firms that prioritises childhood to supporting parents with greater resources and flexibility in the workplace. Among the eight-member taskforce are the chief executives of Ikea, NatWest Group and Deloitte – and their report highlights how the nation could benefit from an estimated £45.5 billion.

The amount could be achieved by equipping youngsters with social and emotional skills, supporting parents wanting to return to work, and reducing the need to spend public funds on those who experienced difficult childhoods which might have been avoided through preventative action in early childhood. Christian Guy, executive director of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, briefed Kate on the new report she has read, and said she was “excited” by the document.

He said: “Shaping Us was about awareness but also for her it’s so important to have action. “So to have eight of the most significant businesses in Britain come forward, make the case to their fellow business leaders is vital – it’s exciting for her and it’s a priority going forward for our centre’s work.”