On October 16, 2026, the Princess of Wales announced that she was commissioning research into the benefits of nature for babies and children. The announcement was made alongside the launch of a new project with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. She said that new scientific research increasingly shows just how important nature is for our psychological and physiological wellbeing, a sentiment she echoed later when she described nature as "such an extraordinary environment for us all and, in this tech-driven, digital age, spending quality time outdoors has never been more important."
The project is a collaboration between the Princess’s office, The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, and William’s Duchy of Cornwall estate. By bringing together the resources of the Duchy’s lands and the expertise of the Centre, the initiative aims to create a platform where academic insight, practical experience and evidence can be examined side by side. The Princess emphasized that the work will draw on knowledge from across the United Kingdom and beyond, seeking to understand how nature‑rich environments can help nurture confident, curious, creative and emotionally healthy children.
Such a Catherine project! 💚 The Princess of Wales has announced a new early childhood initiative exploring how nature supports children’s development, with William and the Duchy of Cornwall as founding partners. A new programme launches next year. 🌿 https://t.co/BlZRZlCxfz
In shaping the vision for the project, the Princess looked to the Reggio Emilia educational approach, which places strong emphasis on the environment as a third teacher and values the role of relationships in learning. She explained that the initiative seeks to explore the holistic benefits of nature and relationships in nurturing healthy development, with the goal of making nature more accessible for families across the UK. The Reggio Emilia influence is reflected in the project’s focus on creativity, emotional growth and the idea that children thrive when they can engage with the natural world in meaningful ways.
First, that nature can support the social and emotional development of youngsters.
The core claims driving the research are threefold. First, that nature can support the social and emotional development of youngsters. Second, that in an era dominated by screens and digital interaction, quality time outdoors has taken on renewed importance for overall wellbeing. Third, that by gathering evidence, expertise and practical experience from around the UK and the world, the project will better understand how nature‑rich environments can help nurture children who are confident, curious, creative and emotionally healthy. These aims were reiterated in the Princess’s remarks, where she linked the project’s purpose to the broader need for supportive environments that make the natural world more reachable for families.
The Princess’s office has stated that the project will explore how nature, creativity, and relationships can best support the healthy development of babies and young children, reflecting a commitment to understanding how the outdoors can contribute to the earliest stages of human development.