Prince Louis appears to have inherited his mother Kate Middleton’s love for the outdoors. During a surprise appearance on Tuesday, September 10, to open her Back to Nature play garden at the Royal Horticultural Society's garden at Wisley, the Duchess of Cambridge revealed the sweet thing her youngest child loves to do outside. “[Kate] was telling us how her son Louis loves smelling flowers. He enjoys being outside," Sarah Griffiths, who attended the event with her daughter, revealed.
The Duchess looked stylish for the outing wearing a floral print shirt dress by Emilia Wickstead and her Monsoon Fleur wedges, while styling her lighter locks down. The Back to Nature festival celebrated the value of communities to our wellbeing and marks the culmination of the RHS garden project.
During the engagement, the royal mom of three delivered a speech highlighting how nature can play a key role in the early years of a child. “I am not as green fingered as many of you here, but I was passionate about creating a garden that inspired children and adults alike to get back to nature and reap the positive mental and physical health benefits that it can bring," she said.
Aside from the physical benefits of being outdoors, Kate revealed that she recently learned how safe and supportive environments can also bring “significant benefits to the cognitive, social and emotional development" of children too. “The experiences we gain during our earliest years influence who we become as people. They influence how we interact in school, in work and in society and, ultimately how we bring up our own children,” the Duchess said. “Whether it is planting, exploring, digging, creating, or playing; quality time spent outside provides children with the perfect environment to form those positive relationships with the people in their lives and the world around them.”
Prince William’s wife continued, “As a parent, I have learnt just how important it is to foster our children’s development, in all areas, not just physical, as soon as they are born. We build the blocks, the foundations, for future success and happiness later in their lives. These relationships, however, stretch far beyond the crucial one that a parent or carer has with its child.”
The 37-year-old royal stressed that by coming together as a community, having fun, learning and experiencing new things, they can all “impart life-long benefits” on children. The Back to Nature garden at Wisley is the third garden that the Duchess has debuted this year.
Princess Charlotte’s mom launched the garden at the Chelsea Flower Show back in May and recreated it at the Hampton Court festival in July. Kate designed her Back to Nature garden to encourage families and communities to come together and connect with nature. The garden highlights how time spent in natural environments can help build the foundations for positive physical and mental wellbeing that last through childhood and over a lifetime.