Princess Beatrice has spoken candidly about the emotional challenges of premature birth, describing the experience as "incredibly lonely" during a special podcast appearance for charity.
Royal Support for Premature Birth Research
The 37-year-old royal, who is the eldest daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, is fronting a new campaign for Borne, a premature birth research charity. Her involvement comes ahead of World Prematurity Day and follows her own personal experience with premature birth.
Beatrice's daughter, Athena Elizabeth Rose, was born several weeks premature on January 22 this year. The princess had originally been due to give birth in early spring.
"I think so often, especially as mums, we spend our lives feeling we have to be perfect to do this," Beatrice shared on The Borne Podcast's special edition published on Monday. "Sometimes, when you are faced with that moment of learning that your baby's going to come a bit early, it can be incredibly lonely."
Medical Concerns and Family Support
In December, Beatrice received medical advice against long-distance travel, with doctors warning that a premature arrival was possible. This led to changed festive plans, with the princess joining the royal family at church in Sandringham on Christmas Day rather than travelling overseas.
As patron of Borne, Beatrice recently visited the charity's research laboratories at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London as part of the Every Week Counts campaign. The initiative is also supported by Professor Mark Johnson and Borne ambassador Laura Tobin.
The Scale of Premature Birth in the UK
The statistics surrounding premature birth reveal a significant health challenge:
- 60,000 babies are born prematurely each year in the UK
- This represents one in 13 births
- Globally, 15 million babies are born early each year
- Complications from prematurity remain the leading cause of neonatal death and lifelong disability
Despite these concerning figures, pregnancy and childbirth receive less than 2% of medical research funding, according to Borne's findings.
"I was really quite shocked to learn that we really do not have as much data with women's health, with pregnant women's health," Beatrice told the podcast.
Building a Community of Support
The princess expressed her hope that supporting the campaign would "bring as many people that have had their own stories, to come and share them" and create opportunities for mutual learning.
She described motherhood as "like a secret club of sharing stories" and emphasised Borne's role in supporting mothers "when they're going through something incredibly traumatic."
Beatrice highlighted the importance of collaboration in medical research, noting that scientists involved with Borne have stated: "Alone, we are making no progress, but with Borne helping us to work together, we will make a difference. We will change what is going on in the hospitals every day all around the world."
The royal's advocacy focuses on ensuring that "phenomenal data, great tools, great doctors, have everything at their disposal so that no Mum can feel alone" during the challenging experience of premature birth.
