The Princess of Wales's Speech at The Future Workforce Summit Sparks Public Discussion

With a heartfelt speech underscoring the lifelong impact of love and nurturing relationships, the princess delivered a call to action that sparked admiration, debate, and surprising comparisons.

On 18 November 2025, in London, England, Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales took centre stage at The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood Future Workforce Summit, addressing an audience of more than 80 of the UK's top business leaders.

Hosted by the Centre for Early Childhood, the event aimed to drive home one powerful message — investment in a child's early years isn't just a moral priority, it's an economic one, too.

Described on the official Instagram account of The Prince and Princess of Wales as an "inspiring day," the summit focused on how early emotional and social development forms the backbone of a strong and capable workforce.

Building on the momentum of the Business Taskforce launched in 2023, the day brought together leaders across industries to back a shared mission — give every child the best start in life to help shape a happier, healthier society.

However, while the message was widely applauded, what quickly caught the internet's attention wasn't just what she said — but how she said it.

As shared by The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, attendees heard from leaders whose initiatives have already had measurable results — with Taskforce-linked projects reaching over half a million babies and young children across the country.

These efforts reflected a shared belief that loving, nurturing relationships and environments are key to helping children thrive — and, in turn, enabling society to flourish.

The tone was set clearly in a separate post that read, "A brilliant day highlighting the vital role businesses can play in early childhood... we need to focus on the earliest years of life."

In her speech, Catherine, Princess of Wales, who had celebrated Armistice Day on November 11, 2025, made a heartfelt case for why early emotional bonds are vital not just at home, but across the entire societal structure. She stated:

"So, my passion and the work of the Centre for Early Childhood stems from one essential truth — that the love we feel in our earliest years fundamentally shapes who we become and how we thrive as adults."

"Love is the first and most essential bond, but it's also the invisible thread woven with time, attention, and tenderness through consistent, nurturing relationships which creates the grounded and meaningful environments around a child," the princess shared.

She further noted that business leaders regularly navigate the demands of generating profit while also striving to make a meaningful difference — a balance she believes is both possible and necessary.

"At the Centre for Early Childhood, we believe that we must do all we can to create the conditions for love to flourish. That is how we invest in our future. I believe in restoring the dignity to the quiet, often invisible work of caring, of loving well, as we look to build a happier, healthier society," she continued.

However, while the message was widely applauded, what quickly caught the internet's attention wasn't just what she said — but how she said it. A wave of social media commentary emerged, much of it revolving around Her Royal Highness's use of notes during the speech.

Still, not everyone focused on comparisons. Several people offered wholehearted praise.

Many netizens drew comparisons, with one typing, "Meghan Markle doesnt have notes when giving speeches [sic]. She's very spontaneous." Another commented, "She's reading off a piece of paper and not doing it very well either."

Someone else bluntly stated, "Those aren't notes; that is the entire speech which she, obviously, did not write." Others echoed this tone with remarks like, "Wrong Meghan doesn't need teleprompter that's the difference [sic]."

However, others leapt to the princess's defence, as one person said, "Why not? She's not the only one to do so. Others use teleprompters as we recently saw with Meghan when she got confused and had to catch it up. Most people make notes to make sure they cover all important points."

Another added, "Meghan was an actress and learned to memorise scripts. When Meghan gives speeches she quite often speaks about her own actions or experiences very rarely does she speak about the actions of others so probably does not need notes just uses experiences [sic]."

A more sarcastic take came in response to the spontaneity debate and read, "That's because she [Meghan Markle] only talks about herself, when I, when I, when I me me me me [sic]."

Still, not everyone focused on comparisons. Several people offered wholehearted praise. A retired teacher, reflecting on more than three decades in the classroom, said the princess was absolutely right in her emphasis on love and nurturing in early childhood.

Another viewer shared admiration for Her Royal Highness's knowledge and dedication, describing her as someone who clearly understands the importance of her work. A third simply called her an amazing woman, praising her presence.

Amid the buzz and debate, one fact remained clear — Catherine, Princess of Wales, reignited a public conversation about the value of early childhood development and the long-term role businesses play in shaping it. Whether reading from notes or not, her message resonated. And for many, that was the point.