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Duchess of Cambridge stresses importance of family during 'hugely challenging' year

Kate has thanked the half a million people who took part in a landmark survey asking questions about raising young children.

By Rhiannon Mills, Royal correspondent

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Monday 23 November 2020 13:36, UK

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Kate on importance of family in 'challenging' year
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The Duchess of Cambridge has said the challenges of the pandemic this year have meant "there hasn't been a more important time to talk about families", as she prepares to reveal the results of a landmark public survey on children and parenting for under-fives.

In a video post on Kensington Palace's social media channels, Kate revealed that she would be announcing the results from her survey on the early years - called Five Big Questions on the Under Fives - later this week.

Half a million people answered the questions, making it the largest ever response to a public survey of its kind.

Kate met local children and parents at a farm near Belfast on Wednesday to discuss their experiences of raising young children for her Early Childhood survey
Image: Kate met local children and parents at a farm near Belfast to discuss her survey

In the video, the duchess thanks everyone who had taken part, saying: "Earlier this year we asked you five big questions about raising our under-fives.

"We wanted to hear what you think about the importance of the earliest years of our children's lives.

"More than half a million of you answered that call, so we've taken your input and combined it with even more public research to produce the UK's biggest ever study on the early years.

"This year has been a hugely challenging time for us all and there hasn't been a more important time to talk about families."

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The duchess said "five big insights" from the survey, conducted by Ipsos MORI, would be revealed later this week.

She will also ask members of the public to submit questions that will be answered by her and a panel of experts.

EMBARGOED TO 2230 TUESDAY JANUARY 21 The Duchess of Cambridge attends the launch of a UK-wide survey on early childhood at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum. PA Photo. Picture date: Tuesday January 21, 2020. The poll, conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Royal Foundation, is thought to be the biggest survey of its kind and aims to encourage a nationwide conversation on early childhood. See PA story ROYAL Cambridge. Photo credit should read: Eddie Keogh/PA Wire
Image: She launched the survey in Birmingham in January

Five Big Questions on the Under Fives was launched back in January and was the first time the UK public has been asked for its views on the topic of early childhood in an open survey.

To promote the survey, the duchess visited Cardiff, Birmingham, Woking, London, Belfast and Aberdeen to speak to people about their experiences and opinions.

Kelly Beaver, managing director of public affairs at Ipsos MORI, said: "Ipsos MORI has been conducting research with the public in the UK for over 50 years, and we have never seen a response like we did when the Five Big Questions was launched."

The full results will be released on Friday, when Kate will also take part in an online forum to mark the release of the findings.