Princess Kate's heartfelt call for compassion and empathy in first public message after cancer treatment

The Princess of Wales says people need to show more compassion and empathy to create a healthier, happier society, in her first major public message since returning to official duties after cancer treatment.

Kate said modern life was leaving many feeling “isolated and vulnerable” during troubled periods, resulting in “poor mental health, addiction and abuse” that was “devastating” for those affected and society.

In a foreword to a report released on Sunday by the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which she launched in 2021, Kate said to find lasting solutions to issues of poor mental health, addiction and abuse, “we must reset, restore, and rebalance”.

“That means taking a profound look at ourselves and our own behaviours, emotions and feelings,” Kate wrote.

The solution is to “develop and nurture” the social and emotional skills we all possess from the moment we are born which are the “bedrock of any healthy, happy society”, but this must be a priority if we are to “thrive”.

“It means getting much better at acting with compassion and empathy towards one another, to help us bond and maintain lasting relationships that bring meaning to our lives.

“At the heart of all of this is the need for us to develop and nurture a set of social and emotional skills which we must prioritise if we are to thrive.”

The centre, set up as part of Kate and Prince William’s Royal Foundation charity arm, said its ‘Shaping Us Framework’ sought to improve awareness of the importance of such skills and offer a “robust yet flexible” model towards a healthy and happy life.

The princess has gradually been returning to her public royal duties after she completed a course of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer, making two appearances at events last week.

with PA.