The Princess of Wales is country chic perfection in new portraits as she marks a milestone project for her most treasured cause

The Princess of Wales reminded royal fans that she is the ultimate example of countryside chic in a new portrait released by Kensington Palace to announce a milestone project for one of Catherine’s dearest causes.

The image was taken on a recent trip to Cornwall by Josh Shinner, who has become one of the Wales family’s most trusted photographers, capturing birthday portraits of Prince George and the Princess of Wales as well as family snapshots for their annual Christmas cards.

In the first image, Catherine is beaming in a cosy woollen ME+EM sweater and polka-dot blouse, wrapped up in one of her iconic Barbour jackets. Two more pictures show the future queen’s windswept hair and characteristic ring stack, with her sapphire-blue engagement ring taking centre stage.

The photos were released as Kensington Palace announced that the Princess of Wales is launching a new project with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, the tentpole project of her royal career, which some commentators have described as her ‘life’s work’.

‘Childhood is a time of wonder, curiosity and discovery,’ read the caption of a video message from the Princess on her official Instagram account.

‘Today, The Princess of Wales has commissioned @earlychildhood to take forward new work examining how nature can support the healthy development of babies and young children, with a new programme set to launch next year.

‘Supported by founding partner @theduchyofcornwall, the work will explore how nature, creativity and relationships can help nurture the social and emotional skills that underpin lifelong health and wellbeing.’

The Princess of Wales spoke of how ‘in this tech-driven, digital age, spending time outdoors has never been more important.

‘This project is about how nature, creativity, and relationships can best support the healthy development of babies and young children,’ she continued. ‘My hope is that through this practical, nature-based research, we can build supportive environments that help make nature more accessible, benefiting babies, young children, and their families across the UK.’

The Princess of Wales has spent many years dedicated to early childhood research, working hard advising the Foundation, even during her cancer treatment. This May, she visited the University of East London’s Institute for the Science of Early Years and Youth to see how the University’s researchers use pioneering state-of-the-art wearables and brain recording techniques to study how the diverse early living environments and relationships experienced by babies influence early stress – both in the child themselves and their parents and caregivers.

The Princess also met on early years courses to hear how social and emotional development is taught, including the use of the Centre for Early Childhood’s resources.

Grounded in science and practical insight, and developed with early childhood experts, professionals and practitioners, the guide highlights the vital role of loving, responsive relationships in shaping children’s lifelong health and wellbeing. The Guide was published on a new hub on the Centre’s website, bringing together all its resources for professionals and practitioners.

In the foreword to the Guide, The Princess wrote: ‘While our society often focuses on academic or physical milestones, research consistently shows that it is our earliest relationships, experiences and environments which lay the foundations for our future health and happiness. The quality of our connections – with ourselves, with others and with the world around us – shapes how safe we feel, how we relate, and how we process experiences throughout our lives.’