FROM A MOTHER'S HEART

The Princess of Wales urges us to slow down, reconnect and treasure the moments that make family life truly meaningful

- REPORT: EMILY NASH

She has long championed the power of the great outdoors now, the Princess of Wales is encouraging us to nurture something even more vital: our connections with each other.

In a heartfelt new essay, Princess Kate, 43, invites readers to slow down and truly engage with the people they love. “Look the people you care about in the eye and be fully there – because that is where love begins,” she writes, offering a message that feels both timeless and timely.

The future Queen – who has made early childhood the cornerstone of her royal work – warns that digital life has come at a cost. Our devices, she says, have become “sources of constant distraction, fragmenting our focus and preventing us from giving others the undivided attention that relationships require.

“We sit together in the same room while our minds are scattered across dozens of apps, notifications and feeds,” she continues. “We’re physically present but mentally absent.”

Drawing on years of study into child development, the royal mom of three describes undivided attention as “the most precious gift we can give another person.” Her reflections, co-written with Harvard Medical School’s Dr. Robert Waldinger – whose landmark research shows that human connection is key to happiness – form what palace aides have called “a clear call to action.”