Princess Beatrice made a significant public appearance in London this week, focusing on a cause deeply personal to her family. The Princess visited the Borne research laboratories at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where she learned about groundbreaking work to prevent premature births.
A Personal Mission for Princess Beatrice
This engagement marked Beatrice's first UK charity visit since her father, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, was stripped of his prince title and dukedom. The princess demonstrated remarkable professionalism, concentrating entirely on the charity's vital mission despite the ongoing royal controversies surrounding her father.
Beatrice gave birth to her youngest daughter, Athena, at the same hospital several weeks prematurely in January. She described the work of Borne as "incredibly close and personal to me following the early arrival of my second daughter." Athena was born weighing just 4lb 5oz, with Beatrice previously revealing her daughter was "so tiny it took more than a few weeks for the tears of relief to dry."
Groundbreaking Research and Partnerships
During the laboratory tour, Beatrice was joined by Good Morning Britain's weather presenter Laura Tobin, who serves as a Borne ambassador. Tobin's own daughter, Charlotte, arrived three months early in 2017, weighing merely 2lb 8oz. The pair met with scientists and clinicians leading Borne's research initiatives, including projects investigating:
- The root causes of preterm labour
- The role of inflammation during pregnancy
- Development of new treatments to prevent early births
In an official statement, Beatrice expressed her gratitude to the researchers: "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."
The Urgent Need for Prematurity Research
The visit forms part of Borne's "every week counts" campaign leading up to World Prematurity Day next Monday. Shockingly, 60,000 babies are born prematurely in the UK annually – representing one in every 13 births. Globally, this number reaches 15 million babies born too soon each year.
Complications from prematurity remain the leading cause of neonatal death and lifelong disability worldwide. Despite this urgent need, less than 2% of medical research funding is dedicated to pregnancy and childbirth, highlighting the critical importance of charities like Borne.
Beatrice and Borne founder Professor Mark Johnson will host an event at Battersea Power Station in London to mark World Prematurity Day, bringing together supporters, researchers, and families affected by premature birth.
Meanwhile, the princess's father Andrew faces mounting challenges, with MPs potentially debating his conduct this week and US Congress members requesting he sit for a transcribed interview regarding his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by November 20.
