The Catherine effect
Plus some closure for Harry and Princess Anne’s big year ahead
Who remembers the “Kate effect”? It was the phrase coined some years back to describe how anything worn by the former Duchess of Cambridge would to sell out within moments of her wearing it.
I ask because today I think we’ve seen an example of the Catherine effect. Nothing to do with fashion this time and far more gradual in timescale, but everything to do with the future Queen’s quiet but significant influence.
She’s apparently “delighted” at plans to expand a programme to support the wellbeing of babies across the UK, which will see her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood and the Institute of Health Visiting roll out the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB) model in eight areas over the next year.
It sounds complicated, but it’s basically a tool that helps health professionals to better understand babies’ feelings by studying eye contact, facial expressions, vocalisation levels and activity, so they can help parents to bond with their children but also pick up on any early problems and get them faster access to specialist help.
I travelled to Denmark with Catherine in 2022, where she met health visitors using the system and was clearly impressed. Her Centre for Early Childhood later began to work with the Institute of Health Visiting and Oxford University to trial it in two areas of the UK.
Those taking part here have said they were able to have more meaningful conversations about a baby’s wellbeing with parents and carers, allowing them to identify those needing more support.
The Centre for Early Childhood is now funding the next part of the trial, which the Princess “looks forward to following closely”, we’re told.
She’s made early childhood development a cornerstone of her public work, in large part because she’s seen through her many charity visits how difficulties experienced between the ages of 0-5 can lead to lifelong problems in adults.
And while the results of this work may take many years to materialise, it’s something Catherine passionately believes can improve our society in future. Unlike the Kate effect on fashion, this is a slow burner, but one that will potentially have a life-changing impact for many people.
For me, this once again shows her quiet power to influence the national conversation in a way that politicians can only dream of. It’s not the first time we’ve seen this from her either.