Today, The Duchess of Cambridge carried out two engagements as well as announced two new Patronages. Catherine visited the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in London then officially launched the Nursing Now 2020 campaign at Guys and St. Thomas.
Ahead of the engagements, Kensington Palace announced two Patronages for Duchess. She became Patron of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), and Patron of the Nursing Now campaign. Now Duchess of Cambridge Catherine is the patron of 16 charities.
It has been announced that The Duchess of Cambridge will become Patron of the @RCObsGyn and the @NursingNow2020 campaign ahead of her engagements today, where she will learn about and support global health work. pic.twitter.com/9ICFqhp2Sz
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) February 27, 2018
On a new endeavor, The Palace remarked “The Duchess has seen first-hand the impact of front-line medical professionals during visits to hospitals and hospices, and through her work in support of children’s mental health and early intervention. The Duchess’ patronages at RCOG and Nursing Now provide an opportunity to shine a light on these vital professions, both in the UK and internationally.”
Today’s visit to the Royal College of Obstetricians Gynaecologists was to learn more about the College’s global health programmes to reduce maternal and newborn mortality worldwide.
At RCOG Duchess was welcomed by Professor Lesley Regan, who met Duchess at a round-table discussion on maternal mental health at Kensington Palace in November.
Speaking about today’s visit and new patron Professor Regan said, “I am absolutely thrilled that The Duchess of Cambridge has graciously accepted our invitation to become the RCOG’s second Patron, after Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. It is a great honor for the College, now in its 89th year, and its 16,000 members in the UK and around the world. We are very grateful to Her Royal Highness whose support will help to raise our profile as a medical charity that champions the provision of high-quality women’s healthcare at home and beyond. We know that maternal health and mental wellbeing is an issue close to The Duchess’s heart, as a young mother herself. We hope that this new relationship will build on our work to improve healthcare for women everywhere, and ensure that women’s views on the care they receive are at the heart of everything we do.”
Duchess Catherine is the 2nd Patron of the RCOG in its 89-year-old journey after Queen Mother Elizabeth I. RCOG was founded in 1929 and works in the UK and globally to set standards for clinical practice, provide doctors with training, and advocate women’s healthcare.
It has been 71 years since the College last welcomed a Patron when in 1947 Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother accepted the role on the award of the College’s Royal Charter. Two years later, she was awarded an Honorary Fellowship and in 1957 laid the foundation stone of the RCOG’s current home at Sussex Place. The Queen later opened the RCOG’s current home in Regent’s Park in 1960.
The College has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the Royal Family. Before becoming the first Patron, as Duchess of York, with her husband, the future King George VI, opened the RCOG’s former home on Queen Anne Street in 1932. Since then, the RCOG has awarded an Honorary Fellowship to 10 members of the Royal Family, including The Queen (1949), Princess Margaret (1966), Princess Royal (1979), Diana, Princess of Wales (1987), and Sophie, The Countess of Wessex (1996).
The Duchess had visited RCOG last year to launch a series of films focused on maternal mental health. Drawing on her own experiences, Catherine admitted to a lack of confidence and feelings of ignorance as a mother.
“It is full of complex emotions of joy, exhaustion, love, and worry, all mixed together. Your fundamental identity changes overnight. You go from thinking of yourself as primarily an individual, to suddenly being a mother, first and foremost.”
AT RCOG Catherine was shown a painting of The Queen opening the College’s current London home in 1960.
The Duchess learned about the education, training, and global health programmes & view demonstrations in essential clinical skills and safe surgical techniques at RCOG.
During her visit to the RCOG, trainees demonstrated how to perform keyhole surgery on a model.
The Duchess joined a discussion at the RCOG about the ways in which the stigma around women’s health, in particular, maternal mental health, can be challenged.
She heard about the RCOG’s global health programmes like Leading Safe Choices which aims to support family planning professionals in South Africa and Tanzania.
The Duchess also saw how the College’s workshops and continued training support trainee doctors to develop safe surgical techniques and essential clinical skills in obstetrics and gynecology.
Catherine learned more about the work carried out by the RCOG’s Centre for Women’s Global Health, which supports communities across the world with women’s maternal and gynecological health, and aims to reduce maternal and newborn fatalities.
To mark her new patronage, The Duchess was presented with a certificate by Professor Lesley Regan, the President of RCOG.
RCOG President Professor @lregan7 welcomes HRH The Duchess of Cambridge to the College as it’s new Patron @KensingtonRoyal pic.twitter.com/GkqaFDpaSm
— RoyalCollegeObsGyn (@RCObsGyn) February 27, 2018
Presenting the certificate, Professor Regan said, On behalf of everyone here present, I would like to extend our very best wishes for the birth of your third child.
“I’m confident that you will receive excellent care from the wonderful team at my own hospital, as indeed you received for the births of Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Thank you once again for visiting the college today, becoming our patron and for showing such passionate interest in our work. We look forward to a very long and fruitful relationship with you and your family”
The Duchess was presented with a posy of flowers by Ruby Lyon, aged 8 who was just 10 weeks old when her older brother, Harry, passed away 18 months after suffering profound brain damage due to lack of oxygen at birth.
Catherine signed Royal Visitors’ book after accepting the patronage. Here in the picture behind is a series of photos of members of the Royal Family at the RCOG including Her Majesty The Queen & Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother signing the same book.
At RCOG Duchess saw a familiar face Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, a midwife who assisted with the birth of George and Charlotte. Professor Dunkley-Bent described it as “a surprise and an absolute pleasure” to be reunited with Kate today.
Before leaving The Duchess thanked Professor Regan and said: “It was great to see Jacqui as well”. Thanking the Duchess RCOG tweeted,” Thank you to HRH The Duchess of Cambridge for visiting us at the RCOG today and accepting the patronage. We look forward to seeing you again soon!”
The next stop of the day was St Thomas Hospital to officially launch a campaign to promote nursing worldwide.
Nursing Now 2020 is a global campaign that aims to raise the worldwide profile of nurses and enable them to take a greater role in health policy decision-making.
Upon arrival, The Duchess was welcomed by the staff and families receiving facility at the hospital.
As the health professionals closest to the public, nurses are the lynchpin of effective health teams, playing a crucial role in health promotion, disease prevention, and treatment. The Nursing Now campaign will support nurses to become leaders so they can play a greater role in health policy decision-making, helping countries meet the pressing health challenges of the 21st century. The campaign will run to the end of 2020 – the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth and a year when nurses will be celebrated worldwide.
About the new patronage of Duchess, Lord Crisp, Co-Chair Nursing Now Campaign, said, “On behalf of Nursing Now supporters across the world I am delighted to welcome HRH The Duchess of Cambridge as our Patron. Our campaign aims to improve health globally by raising the profile and status of nurses worldwide – influencing policymakers and supporting nurses themselves to lead, learn and build a global movement. “We are delighted to have a patron with such a strong commitment to nursing and a history in her family of volunteer nurses. We look forward to working with Her Royal Highness as we support nursing and nurses across the world.”
At the STH, Duchess first visit the Snow Leopard ward where she met highly-specialized nurses who care for children that need help breathing to stay alive.
In the ward, Duchess was briefed about how they help train carers and relatives to use ventilation equipment safely to prepare them for when their child is home.
Catherine met Lauren at the ward whose one-year-old daughter, Amara, has received care in Snow Leopard Ward since January.
The Duchess joined a round-table discussion with nurses from different countries at various stages in their careers, The Duchess was able to hear first-hand about the positive impact the NursingNow2020 campaign could have on the profession.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign, Duchess Catherine remarked,
”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. I would like to congratulate and thanks all nurses everywhere on what you achieve on a daily basis. The difference you make should not go unrecognized”.
🎥Watch The Duchess, Patron of @NursingNow2020, make a speech to mark the launch of #NursingNow pic.twitter.com/5FhxUHGWpR
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) February 27, 2018
Here is the video of the Launch and Duchess speech at the event.
For today’s engagements, Duchess chose a very stylish maternity look. She wore a gorgeous new blue collarless coat with white piping from her favourite designer Jenny Packham.
Duchess paired her outfit with Jimmy Choo Georgia pumps.
She was carrying her Stuart Weitzman Muse clutch.
G Collins & Sons tanzanite pendant and earrings finished today’s look.
