Princess Beatrice was supported by her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, as she made another public appearance to raise awareness of a campaign close to her heart. The royal, 37, hosted a special event in support of her patronage, Borne, which works to end premature birth. Beatrice welcomed her second daughter, Athena, prematurely in January and became the charity's patron in March.
The Princess and Borne founder Professor Mark Johnson brought together supporters, researchers and families at Control Room B at London's Battersea Power Station ahead of World Prematurity Day on Monday 17 November. It marked Beatrice's latest appearance for the charity to support its 'every week counts' campaign, highlighting the need to keep the baby in the womb to term.
It comes after the mum-of-two visited the Borne research laboratories at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital alongside TV presenter and ambassador, Laura Tobin, to learn more about the charity's groundbreaking work to understand why babies are born too soon and prevent premature birth.
© Annabel Moeller / Borne
© Annabel Moeller / BorneBeatrice looked elegant in a floral dress from The Vampire's Wife to host the event, with her auburn locks styled in a sleek blow-dry. She posed for a picture with her husband of five years, property mogul Edoardo, who donned a black jacket with a white open-collared shirt. Edoardo, who is the founder of Banda Property, proudly shared some pictures of Battersea Power Station lit up in red, with festive lights adorning the trees outside, on his Instagram Stories.
"Tiny and absolutely perfect"
A few days after the arrival of Athena on 22 January, Edoardo wrote in a post: "She is tiny and absolutely perfect. We are all (including Wolfie and Sienna) already completely besotted with her. Our hearts are overflowing with love for you, baby Athena. A massive thank you from my wife and I goes out to all the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their exceptional care and support during this incredibly special time."
© InstagramIn a personal essay penned for British Vogue in March, Beatrice said she endured "months of sheer worry" during her pregnancy, adding that women's health had "been left off the agenda" in the past. The princess said her baby was "so tiny it took more than a few weeks for the tears of relief to dry".
© GettyShe continued: "Nothing quite prepares you for the moment when you realise your baby is going to arrive early. There's so little control. The uncertainty leaves you with an overwhelming fear of the unknown. Following routine scans we became aware our precious cargo needed close monitoring, and understood we needed to prepare for an early arrival. What I learnt in this process has been humbling."
© Annabel Moeller / BorneAccording to Borne, 60,000 babies are born prematurely in the UK every year, that's one in 13 births, while only 2 per cent of medical research funding is dedicated to pregnancy and childbirth. As well as Athena, Beatrice is mum to Sienna, four, and stepmother to nine-year-old Wolfie.
