Princess Beatrice has made her first public charity appearance in the UK since her father, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, was stripped of his prince title.
Beatrice was joined by TV weather presenter Laura Tobin in London at the laboratories of Borne, which funds research into how to prevent premature births.
The pair toured the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where Beatrice gave birth to her youngest child Athena 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 weighed 4lb 5oz when she was born, while Tobin, an ambassador for the charity, gave birth to her daughter Charlotte three months early in 2017, weighing just 2lb 8oz.
Beatrice’s father Andrew is set to move from Royal Lodge in Windsor to the King’s private Sandringham estate after he was banished from the Royal Family.
The King took action on 6 November by stripping his younger brother of his birthright to be a prince and his dukedom over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew denies any wrongdoing.
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There were reports Beatrice last week hosted an afternoon tea event in the Middle East during an investment summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
On Monday, Beatrice and Tobin met scientists and clinicians leading Borne’s research, including projects investigating the causes of preterm labour, the role of inflammation in pregnancy and the development of new treatments to help prevent babies from being born too early.
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In a statement released to coincide with the visit, Beatrice, who became patron of Borne shortly after Athena was born, said: “The work that Borne is undertaking is something that is incredibly close and personal to me following the early arrival of my second daughter.
“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.
“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.”
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Around 60,000 babies are born prematurely in the UK every year – one in every 13 births – with 15 million babies arriving early around the world, the charity said.
Complications from prematurity remain the leading cause of neonatal death and lifelong disability, but less than 2% of medical research funding is dedicated to pregnancy and childbirth, it added.
Beatrice and her sister Princess Eugenie remain princesses despite their father’s new status.
