Yesterday was a busy day for the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine, who is currently pregnant with her third child, visited a hospital and then the London headquarters of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).
Whilst visiting the RCOG, of which she had just been named a patron, she noticed a face in the crowd. Catherine embraced Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, who is said to have been present at both George's and Charlotte's births.
Wearing a Jenny Packham blue outfit, the 36 year-old also visited a leading London hospital to launch the Nursing Now global campaign.
The campaign's aim is to raise the status and profile of nurses, and the Duchess has a personal connection to its aims, telling the audience, 'This campaign means a lot to me personally. My great-grandmother and grandmother were both volunteer nurses. They would have learned first-hand from working with the Voluntary Aid Detachment and the Red Cross about the care and compassion that sometimes only nurses can provide.'
Despite the serious and important nature of the visit, it was not without laughs. Before officially launching the project, Catherine met with parents Lauren Kedwell and Jamie Parsons. Their youngest daughter, 10-month old Amara, is being treated in a nurse-led ward for her debilitating disability that means she's never been home.
Lauren Parsons is said to have congratulated the Royal on her third pregnancy saying, 'congratulations, best of luck with the third one', to which she reportedly joked, 'William's in denial'.
Kate is said to have cooed and made silly noises with Amara whilst talking to her parents about the difficulty of her condition. Jamie Parsons said of the interaction, 'She was just very understanding but also you could tell that she did have empathy and could see it was just a scenario that was challenging for us.'
Sounds like an emotional, and hopefully uplifting day for all.
Daisy Murray is the Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, spotlighting emerging designers, sustainable shopping, and celebrity style. Since joining in 2016 as an editorial intern, Daisy has run the gamut of fashion journalism - interviewing Molly Goddard backstage at London Fashion Week, investigating the power of androgynous dressing and celebrating the joys of vintage shopping.
