Princess of Wales to visit Leeds today in latest royal appearance after King Charles' tour of Yorkshire

She is seeking to increase public understanding of the crucial importance of the first few years of a child’s life.

Princess Kate’s visit comes after her father-in-law, King Charles III visited Leeds in November – his first visit to the city since ascending to the throne.

His Majesty unveiled a special plaque at Leeds Central Library to mark the 10th anniversary of the Child Friendly Leeds initiative, which for the past decade has worked to make Leeds the best city to grow up in.

As well as having the opportunity to explore the library, The King also visited Rebellion to Romance, an exhibition at the library by The Jamaica Society Leeds which explores the lives of second-generation West Indians in Leeds coming of age in the 1970s and 80s.

For the Princess of Wales, she is spearheading Shaping Us – a new long-term campaign from The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood – which aims to transform the issue from one of scientific interest to one of the most strategically important topics of our time.

With support from a range of high-profile figures from the world of media, music, science and sports, Shaping Us will begin with the release of a short film, highlighting how babies and children develop in response to their earliest experiences.

Children and young people’s interests are at the heart of life in Leeds, which has an ambition to be the best place in the UK for children and young people to grow up in. The city launched Child Friendly Leeds in 2012 with the belief that by investing in and supporting children, young people and their families, the whole city will see immediate and longer-term social and economic benefits.

Since then, Leeds City Council has been working with partners across the city to deliver enrichment programmes to improve outcomes and have seen many positive results, including a safe and appropriate reduction in the number of children and young people being taken into local authority care, more young people going into education, employment and training, and better school attendance.