The Princess of Wales has backed the Evening Standard’s On the Breadline Christmas appeal to help people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

In a heartfelt message, she thanked the Evening Standard, our readers and partners for our “incredibly important” appeal that is making a real difference to those in need.

The princess, who has worked tirelessly for a decade to improve the lives of young people, said it has never been more important to support families working hard to protect their children from the worst ravages of the crisis.

The Princess of Wales said: “As millions of people face increasingly difficult times over the coming months, it has never been more important for us to support families who are working so hard to protect their children from the devastating impact of food and energy insecurity.
“Thank you to the Evening Standard, your partners and your readers, who have been

so generous in the first week of this incredibly important Christmas campaign.”

She went on: “The money raised will make a real difference to communities and families across London and the whole of the UK by funding vital help and support for those struggling most this winter.”

She spoke as she travelled to Boston on Wednesday with the Prince of Wales ahead of the second annual Earthshot Prize.

The royal couple will carry out three days of engagements in the US city focused on green tech, vulnerable young people, climate change and the early years before the green carpet is rolled out for the glittering award ceremony at MGM Music Hall on Friday evening.

Lord Lebedev, proprietor of the Evening Standard and major shareholder in The Independent thanked Her Royal Highness for her support and said: “We are grateful to the Princess of Wales for her support of our campaign. This is one of the most important appeals we have run and we thank Her Royal Highness for recognising the important contribution we are making to the most vulnerable in our society.”

Our royal-endorsed campaign is providing urgent support to those worst affected by the cost-of-living crisis, working with The Childhood Trust to fund community projects in London and with Comic Relief to fund projects across the country. Last week Comic Relief pledged £1M to get our appeal underway and this week The Childhood Trust pledged £500k.

Leading public figures backing our appeal include the Duke of Westminster and celebrities such as Olivia Colman, David Tennant and Lenny Henry. Their support comes as inflation has hit a 40-year high, with an estimated 4.3 million children living in poverty and more people forced to choose between heating and eating.

The Princess of Wales has worked for almost a decade to help children and their development.

She has said she wants to “change the way we think about early childhood, and transform lives for generations to come.”

She has spearheaded pioneering work culminating in the announcement of the launch of The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which will drive awareness of, and action on, the extraordinary impact of the early years, in order to transform society for the future,

People can donate to On The Breadline by visiting the Comic Relief They can also show support by tweeting the hashtag #onthebreadline.