London, UK - Britain's Kate Middleton – aka Catherine, Princess of Wales – will this week unveil a major project in her campaign to highlight the importance of children's early development.

Kate set up her Centre for Early Childhood in 2021 and reportedly sees the campaign as her "life's work."

The princess, who is married to the heir to the throne Prince William, said people needed to get "much better at acting with compassion and empathy towards one another."

"At the heart of all of this is the need for us to develop and nurture a set of social and emotional skills," she said in a statement as her early childhood center published a "framework" aimed at encouraging efforts to improve the skills.

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Social and emotional skills were "fundamental to our future mental and physical well-being, shaping everything from our ability to form positive relationships, to our capacity for learning, working and coping with adversity," the center said.

The first project based on the scheme is due to be launched this week. The exact date has not yet been announced.

Catherine, 43, who is mother to Prince George (11), Princess Charlotte (9), and 6-year-old Prince Louis, has only recently begun a gradual return to royal duties after a shock cancer diagnosis last year.