Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Anne Team Up for Maternal Healthcare Engagement

The Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Anne have joined forces for an official joint engagement at the London offices of medical organizations working in maternal healthcare.

Although the pair have appeared in public together at previous family engagements, this is the first time the Duchess and Princess have teamed up for an outing which sees just the two of them attending.

Princess Anne has been a patron of the Royal College of Midwives, one of the world’s oldest and largest midwifery organizations, for 20 years, while Catherine has been a patron of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists since 2018.

Both of their roles were previously held by the Queen Mother, and the organization’s now share a headquarters.

The building they visited is home to a collection of women’s healthcare organizations and the hub has been designed by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to foster collaboration across the sector.

Catherine looked perfectly poised on the joint outing, appearing typically stylish.

The Duchess donned an elegant oatmeal dress which was clinched at the waist with a dainty belt and featured delicate floral details.

For her outing today she kept her long locks loose and sported a smattering of glamorous make-up as well as a pearl necklace and a pair of dainty pearl earrings.

Looking equally sophisticated, Princess Anne opted for a long-sleeved teal coat and matching scarf teamed with elegant black shoes for the outing with the Duchess.

The Princess and Duchess’s arrival was welcomed by the RCM Chief Executive Gil Walton and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists President Dr Edward Morris when they arrived.

The two Royals met representatives from Tommies National Centre for Maternity Improvement and learned about the innovative digital tools that are being developed to identify and support women with higher risk pregnancies.

For Catherine, who suffered from severe morning sickness during her pregnancies, the issue is especially poignant.

Over the past several years, the Duchess has done a lot of work on behalf of early childhood development which has been inspired by her own experiences as a mother.

During the visit, Kate, a mother of three, and Anne, a mother of two, also took part in a round-table discussion which brought together sector experts and new mothers to discuss the measures being taken to tackle inequalities in maternity care.

They were introduced to some of the pioneering work being done to improve essential gynaecological skills at the local and worldwide level.

In 2020, Kate got personal about her experiences during childbirth, revealing that she’d turned to hypnobirthing for all three of her deliveries.

While battling hypomanesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness, she had during her early pregnancy, Kate said she took it upon herself to learn about the birthing method.

Every year the Royal College of Midwives celebrates and rewards outstanding achievement and commitment with the RCM Awards, and the Royal duo will congratulate recent recipients on their inspiring work.

The Princess Royal and the Duchess of Cambridge’s rare joint engagement comes as Princess Anne remains one of the hardest working royals, taking on 148 official engagements in 2020.

The royal duo also share one of the same royal titles, the Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, which was given to them by the Queen to highlight their service to the royal family.

Princess Anne and the Duchess of Cambridge also attended many of the Olympic events together in 2012.

The issue of maternal healthcare is a crucial one, and it is heartening to see the Duchess and Princess joining forces to raise awareness and work towards improving conditions for women.

With their combined influence and dedication, they are sure to make a significant impact and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.