The Princess of Wales has shared a family photograph of her as a baby, happily smiling and reaching to grab her father’s face.

The words “faces are a baby’s best toy” come with the treasured image along with the description “with Dad, by Mum”.

Kate, 41, who was born at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, is just a baby wearing a summer dress in the photograph with her father Michael Middleton that was taken by her mother Carole.

It was released after Kate launched her Shaping Us campaign on Tuesday to raise awareness of the vital role our early years play in shaping the rest of our lives.

A series of tweets, which she signed off with her name’s initial, C, read: “This weekend, we’d love for you all to spend time with your friends, families, colleagues and communities talking about your early childhoods and how they’ve shaped your lives.

“I hope you’ll also consider joining me in sharing a picture of yourselves before your fifth birthday to help with those conversations and to share some smiles and memories too.”

This week Kate has said her early years campaign goes beyond “raising kids” and is also about “shaping our society” and creating a “more nurturing world”.

Speaking to radio presenter Roman Kemp, Kate said highlighting the importance of early childhood was not about putting “extra pressure” on parents, but saying they needed “help reprioritising family life”.

The Shaping Us initiative, is a campaign described as her “life’s work” and aimed at raising the profile of the crucial period of a child’s development, from pregnancy to the age of five.

The campaign has the support of a number of famous people, including rapper Professor Green, presenter Fearne Cotton, former Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes and Lionesses’ captain Leah Williamson.

Kate’s comments to Kemp were filmed last month in the grounds of the Hertfordshire home of the Capital FM presenter’s parents, Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp and singer Shirlie Holliman.

She tells the host of Capital’s breakfast show: “This isn’t just about raising kids.

“It’s about shaping our futures, shaping our society, creating a happier, healthier, more nurturing world for us all to live in.”