Kate Middleton is seen in video montage to celebrate one year of her Shaping Us early childhood campaign – as she continues her recovery from abdominal surgery

As Kate Middleton recovers from abdominal surgery, fans of the Princess have been treated to a video montage of the royal to mark an important anniversary. 

Last January, the Princess of Wales, 42, kicked off her new initiative Shaping Us – said to be her life’s work – aimed at highlighting the significance of the formative years of a child’s life. 

The project aims to influence attitudes towards children in the early years period of their lives. 

Over the past year, Kate has attended numerous engagements to meet with young families and children – and her Together at Christmas carol concert was also linked to the campaign. 

Kate is now recovering back home at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Great Park after undergoing abdominal surgery – but the work of her campaign is continuing. 

Aides insist the princess will not be carrying out public duties until at least Easter, but is likely to be working behind the scenes on her early years projects.  

A video released by the Royal Foundation to mark the occasion showed her commitment to the project over the past year. 

Posting on Twitter, the Royal Foundation said: ‘What a year it’s been since the launch of #ShapingUs! Our campaign highlights the unique importance of early childhood. 

‘From pregnancy to the age of five, our brains develop faster than at any other time in our lives.

‘Our experiences, surroundings, and relationships at that very young age, shape the adults we become and the society we create together. It’s been lovely to take a moment to look back over the past 12 months and we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been involved!

‘By building a supportive, nurturing world around children and those caring for them, we can make a huge difference to the physical and mental health and happiness of generations to come. Lots more to come in 2024!’

The video featured clips of the princess herself – now recovering from abdominal surgery at home – speaking at the Design Museum in London in November as she hosted a symposium unveiling the findings of the campaign. 

During her keynote speech, Kate said: ‘People often ask me about why I focus my time on early childhood. Well, the answer is because I care deeply about making a positive difference in helping the most vulnerable and supporting those who are most in need. 

‘Because the future of our children is something we all build together through the actions each and every one of us takes every day. 

‘Because if we can create a society which sees the child in every adult and the adult in every child we will finally start to change it for the better.’

Dressed in an elegant Emilia Wickstead purple suit, she gathered insights from experts in the early years from around the world as part of a ‘global listening exercise’ designed to emphasise why the first few years of childhood are so important in laying the foundations for happy and healthy adult lives.

She called for ‘action at every level’ to support the next generation, arguing that growing up in a nurturing environment was as important to childhood development as learning to read and write.

She explained that after spending several years speaking to those whose lives had reached crisis point, she realised that there was a common theme.

Many of those in prison rehabilitation programmes or addiction recovery centres, as well as those affected by homelessness or mental health issues, pointed to a lack of ‘safety, belonging and love’ in early childhood.

‘Somehow these deep-rooted needs aren’t always met by the societies we are creating, and the effects are evident all around us – with poor mental health, anxiety, depression, abuse and addiction all too common,’ she said.

Over the past year, Kate has taken part in a game of rugby during a visit to the Maidenhead Rugby Club, visited the ‘Dadvengers’ community for dads and their children in Arnos Grove and made visits to highlight the importance of supporting children with special educational needs – and much more. 

It makes for a long-term passion project for the princess, beginning with how a child develops and the importance of the formative years. 

It aims to ‘explore in more depth the importance of a child’s social and emotional world’ and the significance of relationships, surroundings and experiences. 

On Monday Kate left The London Clinic after 14 days, and is now back home at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Great Park, surrounded by her husband and three doting children.

Aides insist the princess will be out of sight over the next few months but is likely to be working behind the scenes on her early years projects, most notably Shaping Us. 

‘Her passion for the early years is clear, there will be a huge continuation of that campaign and she will be keen to be out continuing that conversation with the nation as soon as possible,’ an aide told The Times.

Among the engagements the princess will miss over the coming weeks are the Baftas in February, the annual Commonwealth Day service in Westminster Abbey, and the St David’s Day Parade at the start of March, as well as the St Patrick’s Day parade with the military later the same month.

Reports produced by the Early Childhood centre revealed that the first five years shape future wellbeing more than any other stage of development, with our brains growing faster than at this time then any other. 

The project also hopes to ‘break the cycle’ for parents who experienced difficult childhoods themselves.

Palace aides said last year that the idea for the project began even before Kate became a mother 

While Palace insiders have said she is keen to return to work ‘as soon as possible’, it won’t be back to normal yet for the Princess, with her and Prince William’s current focus ‘100 per cent family first, day job second’.

The royal will not carry out official engagements until after Easter and could undertake any necessary work from her bed, with her return to public duties depending on medical advice closer to the time, MailOnline understands.

Her husband Prince William will take on additional parenting responsibilities and has cleared his diary of official duties as she recovers, only returning to public engagements once she is settled. 

As news that Kate had been discharged emerged, a Kensington Palace spokesman said: ‘The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress.

‘The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided.

‘The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world.’

There were previously concerns that the length of Kate’s stint in the exclusive London Clinic suggested the procedure was ‘serious’.

The exact details of the princess’s condition have not been revealed but the Palace said previously it was not cancer-related and that Kate wished her personal medical information to remain private. 

Engagements with the Princess of Wales’ 30 charities and patronages are being cancelled, rescheduled or postponed while she recuperates.

Official overseas tours for William and Kate, including a scheduled trip to Italy in March, are also off the table for the time being.

As she recovers, Kate is expected to have ‘lots of care and support at home,’ a source close to the royal household told PEOPLE. 

They added that the Princess is ‘a fit young woman’ and that they are ‘sure she will bounce back.’ 

During her speech in November, the royal called for ‘action at every level’ to help to rebalance and restore society’s social and emotional skills – saying the skills were the ‘human wiring we need’.

Kate also stressed the importance of the early years development of children and said those she had met at a ‘crisis point’ in their lives had said for others to avoid their journey, a safe and loving childhood was needed. 

She said: ‘Nurturing skills that enable us to know ourselves, manage our emotions, focus our thoughts, communicate with others, foster positive relationships, and explore the world are just as valuable to our long-term success as reading, writing or arithmetic.

‘These skills are the bedrock, not only for helping children to thrive, but also for restoring, protecting and investing in humankind.

‘So, to rebalance and restore, calls for new thinking and action at every level. Because the future for our children is something we all build together; through the actions each of us takes every day.’

Kensington Palace said the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood has conducted a global listening exercise, involving experts from 21 countries to unite the thinking and agree on the key foundational skills laid in early childhood, but continue to grow beyond it, that help establish happy, healthy adult lives. 

These social and emotional skills are described as fundamental to our future mental and physical wellbeing, shaping everything from our ability to form positive relationships to our capacity for learning, working and coping with adversity.

The Shaping Us National Symposium shared the findings from this exercise and focused on the action needed to make social and emotional skills a greater priority.

Fearne Cotton, a Shaping Us champion, presented the event and the day also featured talks from a range of thought leaders to outline the scientific, economic and human cases for prioritising early childhood.

These thought leaders in attendance included Professor Jack Shonkoff, Director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard whom Kate previously met during a visit to Boston last year.

Sara Rajeswaran, Chief of Staff at Aviva, a key member of the Business Taskforce for Early Childhood which The Princess launched in March, also featured in the event, alongside Professor Robert Waldinger, Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies of adult life ever conducted.

The findings were presented and discussed at the event by a panel of experts covering their professional and personal experiences. 

Chaired by Professor Eamon McCrory, the panel included broadcaster Ashley John-Baptiste, clinical psychologist and author Sophie Mort, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, Neil Leitch and Beverley Barnett-Jones, Associate Director of the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. 

Meanwhile, Kate’s Together At Christmas service in December – supported by the Royal Foundation – was held in honour of those who work to support babies, young children and families across the UK.

Linked to Kate’s Shaping Us campaign, the service showcased ‘the hope of new life and why it is so important to build supportive, nurturing worlds around children and the adults in their lives’.