Kate’s worked out what will define her royal future

There had been rumblings and whispers of something big coming from Kensington Palace. This week we finally found out exactly what’s been in the works when Catherine, Princess of Wales unveiled a major new public awareness campaign centered around the importance of early childhood.

Called “Shaping Us,” the princess’ new initiative is intended to improve our collective understanding of how critical the first five years of life are in shaping the adults we grow up to be. The aim is to move the subject out of the realm of scientific research and recast it as “one of the most strategically important topics of our time.”

“The way we develop, through our experiences, relationships, and surroundings during our early childhood, fundamentally shapes our whole lives. It affects everything from our ability to form relationships and thrive at work, to our mental and physical well-being as adults and the way we parent our own children,” Kate said as the campaign launched on Tuesday.

“By focusing our collective time, energy, and resources to build a supportive, nurturing world around the youngest members of our society and those caring for them, we can make a huge difference to the health and happiness of generations to come.”

To ensure that the conversation reaches a broad spectrum of society, the 41-year-old mom of three has enlisted several British celebrities to support the push for greater awareness. The campaign also features a 90-second animation that illustrates how babies and young children are the product of their earliest interactions and surrounding environment. You can check it out here, but it’s also being screened at theaters around the UK from Friday and appears on electronic billboards in the heart of London at Piccadilly Circus.