Kate Middleton Celebrates a Special Milestone amid Recovery from Abdominal Surgery
The Princess of Wales' team teased there's "lots more to come in 2024!"
As Kate Middleton continues her recovery from abdominal surgery at home, she's marking the first anniversary of a special project close to her heart.
The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood shared a video on Instagram this week celebrating one year of Shaping Us, the campaign that the Princess of Wales launched in Jan. 2023 to further highlight the importance of the early years of a person's life.
"What a year it’s been since the launch of #ShapingUs!" the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood captioned their post. "Our campaign highlights the unique importance of early childhood. From pregnancy to the age of five, our brains develop faster than at any other time in our lives. Our experiences, surroundings, and relationships at that very young age, shape the adults we become and the society we create together."
The video featured clips of Princess Kate, 42, during many of the engagements she undertook in the past 12 months tied to Shaping Us. Her work took her everywhere from the classroom with youngsters to the rugby field, when she visited the Maidenhead Rugby Club in June to speak with men about the impact of male caregivers and sports on children. Snippets also showed her at a portage session, where the royal got on the floor to play with special needs children, and the Shaping Us National Symposium at the Design Museum in central London in November, where Kate delivered the keynote speech to experts in the field.
The post was voiced over with Princess Kate's speech from the symposium.
"People often ask me why I focus my time on early childhood. Well, the answer is because I care deeply about making a positive difference in helping the most vulnerable and supporting those who are most in need," she said.
The speech picks up, "Because if we can create a society which sees the child in every adult and the adult within every child, we will finally start to change it for the better."
The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood teased in their caption, "Lots more to come in 2024!"
Princess Kate is continuing her recovery from her Jan. 16 surgery at home in Windsor after being discharged from the hospital this week.
“The Princess of Wales has returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery. She is making good progress," Kensington Palace said in a statement on Monday. “The Prince and Princess wish to say a huge thank you to the entire team at The London Clinic, especially the dedicated nursing staff, for the care they have provided.
“The Wales family continues to be grateful for the well wishes they have received from around the world," the statement read.
Related: Kate Middleton and Prince William's Profiles Get a Surprise Update on the Royal Family's Website
Kensington Palace announced on Jan. 17 that Princess Kate underwent a "planned abdominal surgery" at The London Clinic the previous day.
"The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days, before returning home to continue her recovery," the statement said. "Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."
"The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private," the statement continued. "Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share."
"The Princess of Wales wishes to apologize to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible," they added.
PEOPLE understands that the issue was non-cancerous and that Prince William, 41, postponed public duties to support his wife during her recovery as well as take care of their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. He did not undertake official duties while Princess Kate was in the hospital and is not expected to during the early days of her home recovery.
A source close to the royal household exclusively tells PEOPLE that it's "sensible" for Princess Kate to take the necessary recovery time before returning to public duty.
"That is a great example to the rest of us, as you’re often told to get back to work as soon as possible, which can be damaging. It is good for all of us to see her taking the time, recovering properly and then coming back," the source says. "We can all learn from that."
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While the source says the issue "does sound serious," they expect her to "bounce back."
“It does sound serious with the length of time [she’s taking]. But she is in great hands and will have lots of care and support at home and is a fit young woman,” says the source. “I am sure she will bounce back.”
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