Princess of Wales in Leeds: Kirkgate Market visit confirmed as royal visit schedule released

The Princess of Wales will bring the ‘Shaping Us’ campaign to the heart of the community when she visits the iconic Kirkgate Market today (Tuesday) and meets vendors and members of the public to discuss early childhood.

The Princess will briefly tour the market where she will meet vendors including some who have been in the market for more than 30 years. Her Royal Highness will then join a discussion with vendors and local people about their experiences of early childhood, their reflections on the Shaping Us film and what it might mean to them.

The Princess will then make a second visit in Leeds, though the details of this trip have not yet been made publicly available.

The visit is in support of the ‘Shaping Us’ campaign, which is looking “to increase public understanding of the crucial importance of the first five years of a child’s life”. It is a new long-term campaign from The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood that is being spearheaded by the Princess of Wales and 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.

Leeds has been chosen as the place to launch the campaign due to it having the ambition to be the best place in the UK for children and young people to grow up in.

Leeds Kirkgate Market opened in 1857 and is home to hundreds of local independent businesses covering everything from fresh fruit and vegetables, butchers, and fishmongers, to a Community Library, cookery school and Volunteer Centre.

The market receives around 120,000 visitors a week and is much loved by the people of Leeds, providing a place where customers can shop sustainably and where communities can come together to enjoy cultural events and vibrant street food. Its mission is to be an inclusive, successful, and sustainable part of the Leeds city centre offer where independent retailers can innovate and thrive.

Follow our live blog for updates as the visit takes place.