Kate Middleton empathised with parents during a visit to Evelina London children's hospital on Tuesday, December 5, to officially open the new Children's Day Surgery Unit. She shared that like them, she also finds hospital visits for her children stressful.
The 41-year-old is a mum to three children: Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five. During her visit to the hospital, for which she has been a patron of since 2018, she toured the new wing and spoke to a family in a pre-op cubicle about how she could relate to high nerves during hospital trips.
"It's always nerve-wracking as a parent; I've taken mine into hospital for different things. You're always at least worried but you've got a great team (here)," she said as quoted by Hello magazine.
The Princess of Wales again gave another glimpse into her parenting style when she dropped by the recovery area and met four-and-half-year-old Saya Stephenson. The little girl was resting in bed following an operation that morning to remove excess skin from her ears.
The royal met the girl's mother Miwa Stephenson, who shared that she had been anxious about her daughter's surgery despite it being a relatively minor procedure.
Kate Middleton replied: "It's always a worry though for a parent. We have to keep our cool. It's so hard" and then she gave Stephenson a hug.
Proud to be the Patron of Evelina Children’s Hospital and to open the new Children’s Day Surgery Unit this afternoon. It’s a privilege to see how the youngest in our society are being cared for at the Evelina. pic.twitter.com/NBQajgbHyR
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) December 5, 2023
Thank you to all the brilliant staff for your commitment to looking after the children in your care. pic.twitter.com/6Cto3g1HBD
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) December 5, 2023
The Children's Day Surgery Unit opened in July and the princess made it official with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Nine-year-old Ella Moth and ten-year-old Chloe Morley joined her in cutting the ribbon on the door of the state-of-the-art facility, which treats a variety of conditions including hand injuries, tonsillitis, the removal of adenoids, minor plastic surgery and ophthalmology.
During her visit, the Princess of Wales also spoke with Moth, who won a competition to design the space-themed unit with her drawings. She said her artwork is inspired by the death of her father who died from brain cancer in 2021 and has now "gone to the stars".
"How does it feel to have your design on the wall for other children to enjoy, being an inspiration for loads of other kids?" the princess asked to which Month replied that she did not think it would ever happen.
Gubby Ayida, Chief Executive of Evelina London, said they were thrilled to be joined by Kate Middleton in opening the Children's Day Surgery Unit. She said the staff at the hospital put children, young people and families at the heart of everything they do and this is especially felt when entering into the new wing.
