Listen up! Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, is dipping her toe into the world of podcasting.
The former Kate Middleton just did her first podcast interview and will appear as a guest on the “Happy Mum, Happy Baby” podcast hosted by British writer and actress Giovanna Fletcher.
The duchess opened up about her own experiences with motherhood, fond memories she has from her upbringing, as well as her latest initiative that's focused on early childhood development.
The initiative, called 5 Big Questions on the Under Fives, launched with a survey about early childhood that she hopes will spark conversations about the importance of the early years in long-term development.
“I think ultimately if you look at who’s caring and looking after and nurturing children in the most vital period from pregnancy all the way to the age of five, you know parents and carers are right at the heart of that, and families are right at the heart of that,” the duchess said. “And although I’ve spoken to the scientists and the service providers, it’s so important to listen to families. What is it that they aspire to? What are their challenges?"
She and Fletcher also bonded over both being moms to three children, and the duchess reflected on aspects of her own childhood that she would like to pass onto her own kids.
“One is quality of relationships,” she said. “So, those moments that you spend with people that are around you. I remember that from my own childhood. I had an amazing Granny who devoted a lot of time to us, playing with us, doing arts and crafts and going to the greenhouse to do gardening, and cooking with us, and I try and incorporate a lot of the experiences that she gave us at the time into the experiences that I give my children now.”
She also talked about the importance of creating happy, safe environments where children can learn, grow and explore the outdoors.
“As children, we spent a lot of time outside and it’s something I’m really passionate about," the duchess says. "I think it’s so great for physical and mental well-being and laying [developmental] foundations. It’s such a great environment to spend time in, building those quality relationships without the distractions of ‘I’ve got to cook’ and ‘I’ve got to do this’. And actually, it’s so simple.”
Before the interview, she and Fletcher paid a joint visit to a nursery school in London, where they met with staff and served breakfast to the students.
Fletcher recalled one cute moment between the duchess and one of her youngest fans.
“My highlight was possibly one little girl telling us her name was Peppa and that her mate was George... she then told us The Duchess was called Daddy Pig, leaving me to be Mummy Pig. I laughed a lot,” Fletcher wrote on Instagram.
Kensington Palace also shared highlights from her visit to the nursery in a sweet video.
“It was clear how passionate she is about the Early Years,” Fletcher said of her time with the duchess. “It was then beyond wonderful to sit and talk further about the survey, her work — for which she has so much knowledge, and her own experiences of being a mother.”
The podcast featuring the former Kate Middleton comes out Saturday at 11 a.m. ET.