Happy child, happy future

To create a healthier, happier society, the Princess of Wales declares in our pages today, we must focus on early childhood – from pregnancy to the age of five. Since she became part of the Royal family in 2012, she has said, work with addicts, the homeless, mothers in prison, and those suffering mental ill health all pointed to the essential value of helping little children when their brains and experiences are developing so fast. Last year, she set up her Centre for Early Childhood as part of the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales. It is stirring and, in a way, moving that the Princess, still young, takes a practical interest in a vital social question. Childcare is far, far more than finding nursery places to let parents go back to work. A happy, valued childhood transforms lives individually, adding up to a brighter future.