Princess Beatrice paid a visit to a charity working to end premature births, amid reports her father Prince Andrew will leave Royal Lodge for Sandringham in the new year
Princess Beatrice has made her first public appearance since her father Andrew was stripped of all Royal titles. The socialite set aside the continuing controversy surrounding Andrew Mountbatten Windsor as she appeared in London to champion a charity dedicated to preventing premature births.
Beatrice visited the Borne research laboratories on Monday afternoon at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where she delivered her youngest daughter Athena several weeks early in January. The outing represented the princess’s first public charitable engagement in the UK since Andrew was stripped of his Royal titles and dukedom following his association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
This followed reports that Beatrice had hosted an afternoon tea gathering in the Middle East last week during a business summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The princess described Borne’s mission, which supports research into preventing early births and understanding why babies arrive prematurely, as “incredibly close and personal to me following the early arrival of my second daughter”.
Athena arrived at the beginning of the year, weighing 4lb 5oz, with Beatrice later reflecting that she was “so tiny it took more than a few weeks for the tears of relief to dry”.
Beatrice was accompanied at the occasion by Good Morning Britain’s weather presenter Laura Tobin, whose daughter Charlotte was born three months prematurely in 2017, weighing just 2lb 8oz. The duo encountered scientists and clinicians spearheading Borne’s research, including studies examining the triggers of preterm labour, inflammation’s impact during pregnancy, and pioneering treatments aimed at preventing premature births.
In a statement issued alongside the visit, Beatrice, who became Borne’s patron shortly after Athena’s arrival, declared: “The work that Borne is undertaking is something that is incredibly close and personal to me following the early arrival of my second daughter.”
She continued: “Today’s visit was not only insightful but has given me so much hope for pregnant mothers in the UK that this topic is being taken incredibly seriously.”
The Royal patron added: “As a patron of Borne, I am so grateful for the scientists and clinicians who took the time today to show me the advances they are making to reduce the risks to expectant mums and babies.”
Tobin, serving as a Borne ambassador, characterised the tour as a “deeply personal” encounter.
She reflected: “As a parent who’s experienced the uncertainty of premature birth and how worrying it can be, today’s visit was deeply personal,”.
The ambassador expressed optimism, saying: “The research happening here gives me real hope for the future, that one day fewer families will have to face what ours did.”
She praised the organisation’s commitment: “The dedication of everyone at Borne to finding answers and preventing prematurity is truly inspiring.”
The visit supports Borne’s “every week counts” campaign ahead of World Prematurity Day next Monday. Beatrice and Borne founder Professor Mark Johnson are poised to host an event at Battersea Power Station in London to commemorate the occasion, uniting supporters, researchers, and families associated with the charity.
Every year in the UK, some 60,000 babies are born prematurely – one in every 13 births – with 15 million babies born early globally, according to the charity.
The charity further stated that complications from prematurity remain the leading cause of neonatal death and lifelong disability, yet less than 2% of medical research funding is allocated to pregnancy and childbirth.
Beatrice’s father Andrew is expected to relocate from Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park to the King’s private Sandringham estate sometime in the new year, following his expulsion from the Royal family.
The King took measures by depriving his younger brother of his birthright to be a prince and his dukedom due to his “serious lapses of judgment”.
The former prince has long been plagued by allegations that he sexually abused Virginia Giuffre after she was trafficked by Epstein. Andrew vehemently denies the accusations.
It also came to light in recent weeks that he had emailed Epstein in 2011 stating “we’re in this together”, three months after he claimed to have severed all ties with the paedophile financier.
Andrew’s behaviour could come under parliamentary scrutiny for the first time this week, with the Liberal Democrats planning to grill him over his Royal Lodge tenancy deal, including specifics about any compensation he might pocket for vacating the property, once the Commons reconvenes on Tuesday following the break.
Meanwhile, US Congress members have penned a letter demanding he submit to a “transcribed interview” regarding his ties to Epstein, with a deadline of November 20 for his response.
Beatrice and her sister Princess Eugenie retain their princess titles despite their father’s exile from the Royal fold and his fresh designation as an ordinary citizen.
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