Royals British Royal Family British Royal Family Style Kate Middleton Had the Perfect Response to a Man Who Was 'Nervous' to Take a Selfie with Her The Princess of Wales took her campaign for children on the road in Leeds, where she surprised shoppers runnings errands at Kirkgate Market By Simon Perry Simon Perry Simon Perry is a writer and correspondent at PEOPLE. He has more than 25 years’ experience at PEOPLE covering the royals, human interest and celebrity. People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 31, 2023 07:12AM EST Kate Middleton is taking her campaign to highlight the importance of the early years of a child's life to new levels. On Tuesday, the Princess of Wales, 41, traveled to the northern English city of Leeds to talk to locals about her new initiative. Kate's new campaign, Shaping Us, kicked off on Monday to raise awareness and get a conversation going on the importance of the first years of life. On Monday, Kate gave a landmark speech in London, followed by the release of a claymation film that highlighted how babies and young children develop in response to their earliest experiences. Princess Kate, who wanted to bring her campaign to the heart of a city community, visited Leeds Kirkgate Market and met vendors to discuss early childhood. Surprised members of the public also got to see the royal while on their shopping outings. Kate Middleton Brings a Special Accessory to Early Years Meeting — Which She Debuted at Harvard! Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales. Zak Hussein / SplashNews.com When Kate was walking by, one man in the crowd asked if she would pose for a selfie with him. She stopped and went over to him. As he fumbled with his phone to change the camera direction, he told her, "I'm sorry. I'm really nervous," as seen in a video posted on Twitter by GB News' Cameron Walker. "Please don't worry. It's okay," Kate replied. "We all get nervous." They then smiled for the photo. The royal has a personal connection to Leeds — it's where her father, Michael Middleton, was born, and she has family ancestors in the county of Yorkshire. Shirley Wainwright, 75, from Harrogate, Yorkshire, had an animated chat with her. "She said she was really looking forward to being here," Wainwright tells PEOPLE. "She said she's got a massive family tree and that there's a lot of history around here in Leeds and is determined to come back." Catherine Princess of Wales visit to Kirkgate Market. Tim Rooke/Shutterstock After viewing a huge digital display of her Shaping Us campaign on display at the market, Princess Kate moved — slowly — through a crowd of excited shoppers surprised by her visit. Two mothers carrying babies caught her eye. Louise Keith, who had 8-month-old baby Sadie with her, tells PEOPLE, "We told her how Leeds is such a great place to bring up kids. Her campaign is a great initiative. It's good for people who need it. We are fortunate that we have a good community network around us, but it's good for those who don't." Joan Dove, 75, from York, was shocked that Kate said she was pleased to meet her. "It's humbling when someone like her says that," Dove says. "I have seen about the campaign on the TV. She does a lot of work for children. She's so natural with people." Her friend Angie Chilton, 72, adds, "She's not standoffish. People are aware of who she is so they might not want to approach her but she's very forthcoming." Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales. Tim Rooke/Shutterstock Kate toured some of the market's stalls, chatting with a fishmonger and some trainee primary school teachers. At The Nut Shop, which sells sweets and snacks, she met owner Joanne Johnson, 53. "I don't think she would be as credible in this if she wasn't a mother. She's got three beautiful children to raise," she says. Johnson adds that Kate is in a perfect position to head up the campaign "as she's going to be our queen, so you're going to listen to her." "I was raised by my mother and my grandparents, and the things I learned from my grandma have stayed with me to this day," Johnson says. "It's an important campaign. As we learn more and more about children's development, we are learning how important those first years are." Johnson — who started working at the stall as a teen and ended up buying it later on — adds, "She was really engaging asking me questions about how the business has been. She made me feel at ease and comfortable." Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Kate chatted with three students studying to become primary school teachers: Eisha Salem, 21, Emily Darby, 20, and Megan Dickinson, 31, of Leeds City College. Salem says, "We told her we are going to university to be primary school teachers, and she said how important the early years are for children and a great profession to get into." "She told us she thought it was a really good thing to be doing and great career choice," Salem adds. "We've heard a bit about of her early years. She was really relatable and took time to speak to us." Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales. Chris Jackson/Getty Images After briefly touring the market where she chatted with vendors, she then joined a discussion with some of the workers and locals to hear about their experiences of early childhood. Kate also met with students at the University of Leeds who are focusing their studies on children's early years. She began at a lecture on the "Psychological Approaches to Understanding and Supporting Children's Learning" then sat down to talk to a group taking Childhood Studies. Dr. Katie Gathercole, who leads the class, tells PEOPLE that it "was wonderful" to see the interaction and conversation between the students and the Princess on what was clearly a common passion. "There was so much of shared interest and understanding of issues to do with early childhood. These conversations were really great to see," she says. "We are really happy that she's identified early childhood. Children and young peoples' experiences have not been on the public's and society's radar, or the political radar, for what seems like a long time. So having someone as high profile as the Princess of Wales highlighting these really important years in a child's life is really wonderful — not just for us and our course but for society as a whole. Her message aligns with what we do on the course." And Dr. Gathercole was impressed with Kate's knowledge on the subject: "She does know what she is talking about, absolutely. She is familiar with the really important research around it and the science that she talks about really does stack up. This research-informed material is going into this campaign." Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales in Leeds. Chris Jackson/Getty Images Around the table was Luke Tull, who is studying for a psychology degree. He says, "I thought she might talk about the campaign, but she took a real interest in us. She picked up on things we'd say and relate it to things she's experienced or knows. You can tell she knows her stuff and she's spoken to a lot of people and has been really passionate about this for a long time." He adds, "She came in and said, 'I'm here to talk to you all as you know more,' " and the royal asked them their dissertation topics. "She was very easy. She sat down and let us all carry on as if we were having a usual conversation." If someone stuttered or faltered, Kate was "smiley and encouraging. She made it very easy." He adds that Princess Kate she "knows what she's on about." Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales in Leeds. Arthur Edwards/Pool/Shutterstock In an open letter released on Saturday, Kate explained: "During our very early childhood, our brains develop at an amazing rate — faster than any other time of our lives. Our experiences, relationships, and surroundings at that young age shape the rest of our lives. It is a time where we lay the foundations and building blocks for life. It is when we learn to understand ourselves, understand others and understand the world in which we live." "But as a society, we currently spend much more of our time and energy on later life," she continued. "I am absolutely determined that this long-term campaign is going to change that. It will start by highlighting how we develop during early childhood and why these years matter so much in terms of shaping who we become. I will be joined by a remarkable group of experts spanning science, research, policymaking and front-line practice as well as an exciting group of well-known faces from music, sport and television to show all of us why it is in all of our interests to care about this." Catherine Princess of Wales visits Kirkgate Market, Leeds. Tim Rooke/Shutterstock On Tuesday, The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood also released a video message from Kate on their new Instagram page, where she added that "by focusing our collective time, energy & resources on these most preventative years, we can make a huge difference." Children's and young people's interests are at the heart of life in Leeds, which is about 200 miles north of London. The city has the ambition to be the best place in the U.K. for children and young people to grow up. Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! The city launched Child Friendly Leeds in 2012 with the belief that by investing in and supporting children, young people and their families, the whole city will see immediate and long-term social and economic benefits. Kate Middleton Teases Some Exciting News About Her Royal Work on Instagram Since then, Leeds City Council has been working with partners across the city to deliver enrichment programs to improve outcomes and has seen many positive results, including a reduction in the number of children and young people being taken into local authority care, more young people going into education, employment and training, and better school attendance. Kirkgate Market, which opened in 1857 and is home to hundreds of local independent businesses from grocers selling fresh fruit and vegetables to butchers, and fishmongers, receives around 120,000 visitors a week. Its mission is to be an inclusive, successful, and sustainable part of the Leeds city center where independent retailers can innovate and thrive.