Princess of Wales calls on businesses to value ‘time and tenderness’ in rare speech

The Princess of Wales has delivered a rare speech calling on businesses to value “time and tenderness just as much as productivity and success”, as part of her push to make society put the needs of children first. 

During her first speech since she was diagnosed with cancer at the start of 2024, Kate reflected on the importance of love, telling 80 business leaders, “the love we feel in our earliest years fundamentally shapes who we become and how we thrive as adults”.

But in a call to action for businesses, she added: “Every one of you interacts with your own environment; a home, a family, a business, a workforce, a community. These are the ecosystems that you yourselves help to weave.

“Imagine a world where each of these environments were built on valuing time and tenderness just as much as productivity and success.

“As business leaders, you will face the daily challenge of finding the balance between profitability and having a positive impact. But the two are not, and should not be incompatible.”

At the Future Workforce Summit, hosted by her Royal Foundation Business Taskforce, Kate thanked her team at the Centre of Early Childhood “for holding the fort, particularly over the last couple of years”.

She was also joined by former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate as she called on business leaders to invest more in the early years development of children.

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The event came as The Royal Foundation released a new report called “The Human Advantage”, exploring how, as AI increasingly handles technical tasks, competitive advantage will rely on human skills that technology cannot replicate.

But while the survey found that 81% of business leaders believe there will be an increased need for human skills in the next five to 10 years, very few business leaders identified the unique importance of early childhood in the development of these skills.

In summer 2024, the Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood 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.

Involving the chief executives of Ikea, NatWest Group and Deloitte, the report highlighted how the nation could benefit from an estimated £45.5bn.

The report followed the launch of Kate’s long-term campaign, Shaping Us, in January 2023, described as the princess’ “life’s work”, and aimed at highlighting the crucial first five years of a child’s life.