Princess Kate visited Windsor Castle on Tuesday, just hours before her absence at a white-tie diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace.

According to the Court Circular, Princess Kate attended a meeting with her Early Years team at the Berkshire royal residence. A passionate advocate for early childhood development, the royal established the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in June 2021 alongside Prince William.

The Centre focuses on raising awareness and driving action around the importance of early childhood, aiming to foster societal transformation.

In 2023, Kate launched the Shaping Us campaign, a cornerstone of her royal work, which highlights the critical developmental period from pregnancy to age five.

Speaking on her dedication to this cause, Kate previously said: “This is not just about the youngest children in our society, who are, by their very nature, vulnerable. It is also about the many young people and adults who are suffering. We must do more than simply meet the short-term needs of these individuals. We must also look at creating long-term, preventative change. And that takes us right back to the beginning.”

She emphasized the importance of addressing root causes to tackle some of society’s toughest challenges, calling for collaborative efforts to create meaningful solutions.

Despite her engagement earlier in the day, Princess Kate did not attend the evening’s prestigious diplomatic reception—the first time in ten years she has missed the event.