The confidentiality of Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, was breached and three workers have been placed under investigation by the London Clinic where the royal was treated
The Princess of Wales has been working from home on her early years project to improve the lives of babies, it is understood.
Kate, 42, is easing back into normal life after her abdominal surgery at the London Clinic, which has put three workers under investigation after it emerged this week that the royal’s security was allegedly breached.
But the future queen is now slowly returning to work, and a report is due to be published today into her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which funded a trial of a baby observation tool. The device is set to be used by health visitors to improve how they spot signs of social and emotional development in young children.
Kensington Palace confirmed Princess Kate had been kept up to date with her campaign and the “overwhelmingly positive” results of a study she inspired. A spokesman for Kensington Palace is reported to have said: “The Princess has been kept updated throughout the process.”
Having personally suggested that the tool could be used in Britain after seeing a similar system during a royal visit to Denmark, the Princess has been particularly invested in the four-month trial.
On Wednesday, the Prince of Wales made a visit to Combermere Barracks in Windsor, as the Colonel of the Welsh Guards, while the Queen represented the monarch on a public engagement in the Isle of Man.
The King, meanwhile, was pictured leaving his London residence in a separate car ahead of his wife as royal well-wishers lined the Mall to wave to Their Majesties. It is understood the 75-year-old monarch is determined to attend the Trooping the Colour ceremony in June despite his ongoing cancer battle.
And despite her confidentiality breach at the private hospital, Kate is believed to be keen to support further use of the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB), the tool at the heart of the trial at two NHS trusts. The mum of three has been taken off public duties, and ordinarily, she would have been expected to undertake engagements relating to the study’s publication.
However, the report is expected to recommend expanding the use of the tool to health visiting teams in more areas of the UK. Health visitors used ADBB to help families better understand the ways babies express their feelings.
Researchers at the Institute of Health Visiting and the University of Oxford are said to have recognised the benefits of the tool, including how it helps aid early years’ development, helps babies better maintain eye contact and identifies families in greater need of support.
Health visitors from South Warwickshire described the training as “hugely beneficial” and “of great importance” to their practice, requiring minimal additional time during appointments, The Daily Telegraph reports.
They identified behavioural concerns in 10 per cent of the babies during the study as a result of using the tool. Christian Guy, executive director of the Centre for Early Childhood, said: “The results of the initial phase of testing are so encouraging.
“We now want to move quickly to ensure we build on this work, bringing the benefits of this model to more health visitors across the country so that, ultimately, more babies and their families get the support they need to thrive.”
Dr Jane Barlow, professor of evidence-based intervention and policy evaluation at the University of Oxford, who oversaw the evaluation of the trial, said: “It is truly exciting to think about [the] impact this could have on families right across the country as we enter the next phase of this research.”
The Princess has regularly spoken of the importance of the first five years of life, as well as her hopes for prioritising the social and emotional development of all children. The Centre for Early Childhood was established in 2021 and is part of The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales. The Mirror contacted Kensington Palace for comment.
