04 February 2023 , 16:38
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Kate, Princess of Wales, has shared an adorable photograph of herself as a baby to kickstart a campaign around early childhood years.
The princess, 41, issued the deeply personal picture, which was taken by her mother Carole Middleton in 1982 or 1983.
Thie photo shows baby Kate smiling while playing with her father Michael, who holds her with his hands, in seemingly the family's garden.
Kensington Palace said Kate selected this image for her new campaign Shaping Us, which encourages people to think about their early childhoods and how the earliest years of their life shaped them as adults today.
Princess Kate, pictured as a baby, plays with her father (PA)"Faces are a baby’s best toy," the royal said.
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The photo was also posted on the princess's social media accounts, which also urged her followers to share pictures from their own childhoods.
Kate wrote on social media: "On Tuesday we launched #ShapingUs to raise awareness of the vital role our early years play in shaping the rest of our lives.
"This weekend, we’d love for you all to spend time with your friends, families, colleagues and communities talking about your early childhoods and how they’ve shaped your lives.
"I hope you’ll also consider joining me in sharing a picture of yourselves before your fifth birthday to help with those conversations and to share some smiles and memories too."
Kate Middleton, pictured at five years old, values the importance of early years education (The Middleton Family)
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge are pictured with their children (NurPhoto via Getty Images)The message was welcomed by many social media users, who promptly shared their own pictures as babies.
Others noted just how much Prince Louis, the Prince and Princess of Wales' younger child, looked like his mother.
Twitter user Anne (@ttokinami) wrote: "Catherine and Louis are twins!"
A Twitter user with the nickname Countess (@Countesschecks) wrote: "Aww that’s Louis right there".
Kate visited a school in east London this week to talk to four and five-year-olds about their experiences growing up.
And last week, the mum asked shoppers and stallholders at a market in Leeds about their thoughts on the importance of the early years.
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