Kate Middleton looked regal in a purple suit at the Shaping Us Symposium on Wednesday.
The Princess of Wales re-wore her eye-catching purple double-breasted blazer and cigarette style trousers by Emilia Wickstead to the inaugural Shaping Us National Symposium.
The Princess hosted the symposium along with The Royal Foundation’s Centre for Early Childhood at the Design Museum in Kensington, London.
The symposium brought together cross-disciplinary leaders, child and adult specialists, and global thinkers for the first time to consider how we grow, think and behave throughout life, in order to build resilience for the future.
Kate delivered a keynote speech, it has been described as her most significant speech on early childhood to date:
The Princess emphasised the critical importance of the early years in a child’s life, likening the need to invest in child development to the care we should have for our planet. Kate’s speech highlighted her belief that a healthy, confident adult’s foundations are laid in the earliest years of life.
The symposium featured speeches and panel discussions, and breakout sessions. Above, Professor Jack Shonkoff. Below, Professor Robert Waldinger:
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair attended the Symposium too.
Blair spoke about the importance of early childhood development and the role of politicians in creating supportive policies. The discussions also covered the significance of developing emotional resilience during childhood.
He also took part in a panel with Lord Hague.
Here’s Kate with Fearne Cotton, a Shaping Us champion who hosted the event:
Shaping Us is a campaign run by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. It focuses on the development of children from birth to age five, advocating for long-term, preventative change in adults. This initiative has expanded from a UK-based campaign to a global one, involving research in 21 countries to find common threads that apply universally.
Above: The Princess attending a breakout session in the Huth Gallery.
Kate’s outfit:
I expect the Princess chose purple deliberately, to stand out as she delivered her keynote speech. The striking hue visually sets her apart from the other speakers and guests too, ensuring that she captures attention and underscores her presence.
The choice of suit is obvious—it embodies professionalism and empowerment, and communicates a sense of authority and commitment to the cause.
- Purple Emilia Wickstead Suit
- Navy Blue Gianvito Rossi 105 Pumps
- Princess Diana’s Earrings
I’m fond of this shade of purple, it’s eye catching and looks good on her.
The buttons are pulling a little and I think the tailoring is better on the model because it’s not too tight in the torso. Not a huge fan of those trousers, I think a wider leg would have looked better. In the model view though, there is a cuff and I sort of like that design feature that was removed in Kate’s version.