Princess of Wales article in Financial Times (25-03-2023)

[RYGO]

Investing in early childhood is a down payment on all our futures | Financial Times (ft.com)

She’s right, I hope she does for children, what she and Will and Harry did for mental health

She's a Tory puppet

Give it a rest.

FT leave the comments open became they trust the subscribers to make intelligent comments.

My favourite is ;

I’m going to mimic rightwing anti Meghan Markle response to this article if it was written by her:

SHOCK as PREACHIE KATIE breaks protocol to LECTURE YOU on how to RAISE YOUR CHILDREN!!

• palace insiders aghast at WOKE intervention.

Sarah Vine/Camilla Tominey/insert name of royal correspondent

Why is this article here?

What qualifications does the author have in the topic apart from having birthed children herself and participated in PR photo shoots? And more to the point why is the FT participating in this royal puff piece, I am genuinely baffled. There is nothing of substance here. Is there really a substantive lack of authors with any genuine qualifications to write something on this topic?

Did palace handlers pay to put this article in? I am trying to understand why this article is not in the express or the mail?

How embarrassing for all involved

Why does an unelected person of huge wealth, privilege , wholly unaccountable ,with no mandate, and used to deference everywhere ( including bows and curtsies), believe that they have a right to direct public policy in this important area?
There are untold experts and policy makers in this field. Let’s hear from them in the FT and elsewhere.
And if they stand for government and we don’t like the policies we can vote them out too.

I think the fact that she's birthed three children gives her an inkling into how important early years are, don't you? Oh, sorry, I know there's nothing she could do that would make you anything other than antagonistic towards her.

Kate is not directing public policy. She's been instrumental in bringing together the experts and policy makers. It's hard to get anything done in this country - I would have thought any focus on the importance of early years would be a good thing. Obviously you don't think so.

On a side note, I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone bow or curtsey to her. I'm pretty sure she doesn't expect it.

LOL A bunch of sugars... they all use the same phrases at different website. Really funny if you follow it. Bot farm

So, you agree with what she has said? But criticise her for saying it?

Or do you disagree with what she said?

Yes the comments are so alike they must all be down to the Bot Sentinal bloke who has form for botting William and kate.

I think I must be missing something. I know she has to tread carefully and can't say anything political, but she keeps going on about how crucial the first 5 years are, without actually saying what we're supposed to do about it. All she seems to be doing is causing me to feel stressed that I'm going to do something wrong and fuck my kids up.

Kate is not directing public policy. She's been instrumental in bringing together the experts and policy makers. It's hard to get anything done in this country - I would have thought any focus on the importance of early years would be a good thing. Obviously you don't think so.

You think it will lead to change?

Also did anyone thing early years didn't matter?

think

Oh, yes, I'm sure there are plenty of babies, toddlers and young children in households where no-one understands the importance of focus on early years. Sadly.

Ask any primary school teacher about children entering the school system who are hardly verbal, aren't toilet trained, can't use a knife and fork, aren't socialised, tiny children who can swear like a trooper but don't know any nursery rhymes.

Will it lead to change? No idea, but there certainly seem to be some good people involved in the initiative. If people stop being so sneery and perhaps lend some support to the campaign, who knows what might be achieved.

Oh, yes, I'm sure there are plenty of babies, toddlers and young children in households where no-one understands the importance of focus on early years. Sadly.

You think getting the message through to those individuals will be achieved by Kate & her task force?

Will it lead to change? No idea, but there certainly seem to be some good people involved in the initiative. If people stop being so sneery and perhaps lend some support to the campaign, who knows what might be achieved.

The problem is we know the Royals need their pet projects but to tackle something like this we need real political change.

Plus people just don't really engage with Kate on this level, look at the level of press interest about this stuff as opposed to "will Harry attend the coronation".

OK, you're obviously not interested in the initiative, just in having a pop at Kate.

Perhaps you could name some other individuals who are focusing on the subject.

How am I having a "pop" at her? Have I said anything offensive or wrong?
It would be great if it did have an huge impact & lead to change but realistically it's just not. That's the issue I have.

Perhaps you could name some other individuals who are focusing on the subject.

The teachers at my dcs school/nursery. They have implemented additional lessons in the morning & after school every day to help with the huge problem with phonics due to the covid lockdowns. That's making a difference now.

We had Surestart programmes which addressed these issues. What changes is Kate actually suggesting @Coxspurplepippin?

It's stupid because you can't tackle EYs issues without addressing socioeconomic reasons & acknowledging the huge wealth inequality in this country. How can she be a meaningful figurehead of that?

So, you agree with what she said, but criticise her for saying it?

OK...

if she was a normal person her article wouldn’t even make the cut for local news.

So she's using her profile to make sure it does make the cut. So from that perspective it's working.

But isn't that the point of any figurehead? They use their position to raise issues that wouldn't otherwise get airtime?

Such a vague article. DH, the most ardent royalist, read it and looked at me in bafflement asking what was the point of it and why can't people say what they are actually going to do.

Do the FT really think their regular readers need to be told about the importance of the early years? That they don't know the effect social and economical differences have on young children children's lives and their future outcomes? That they don't understand the impact that Tory policies are having on a generation of children?

It truly reflects poorly on the FT to publish this article, and in such a prominent place in the weekend edition. Shoulder to shoulder with people like Camilla Cavendish and Martin Wolf FGS.

mmalinky, have you looked at the website?
Tiny Happy People specifically looks at language development - perhaps the amazing teachers at your school have utilised that resource. Thousands of items donated to baby banks by retailers. The advisory group has some seriously expert people involved.

The danger is that people will dismiss the initiative because 'oooh, it's the princess of Wales, what does she know, she's only in it for the positive press, it's not like she needs to work' etc etc. There's so much negativity when it could be such a force for good.

DewinDwl above has been dismissive - why is the article in the FT, surely their readers know all this stuff and so on. But surely the point of having an article in the FT is more to do with the fact that the people reading it may be in a position to raise funding, there may be MPs and business leaders reading it who may want to get involved, if only for the association. You mention Surestart, which has been almost dismantled in our area. Someone reading the FT piece might think oh, maybe we shouldn't have been so hasty in getting rid of Surestart centres and may even be in a position to do something about it.

Also, DewinDwl's response seems to suggest no-one who reads the FT, those who obviously recognise the importance of early years, could possibly be guilty of neglecting to support their own children during their first five years. It's an issue that only affects children from poor backgrounds.....