Princess Beatrice has said experiencing premature birth "can be incredibly lonely" as she appeared on a podcast in support of a patronage close to her heart. The royal, 37, welcomed her second daughter, Athena Elizabeth Rose, who was born several weeks premature on 22 January.
Beatrice became patron of the premature birth research charity Borne, and is fronting a campaign for World Prematurity Day on 17 November. Speaking to Professor Mark Johnson on The Borne Podcast, released on Monday, she said: "I think so often, especially as mums, we spend our lives, you know, feeling we have to be perfect to do this. And 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.
"And even now, talking to some of the moms who know about my work with Borne, they feel this sense of, like, sort of life changing relief that can come with knowing that there is an organisation there that is supporting the research and supporting the questions, and asking some of these important questions."
Just weeks after giving birth, Beatrice penned an emotive essay for British Vogue in which she said that her baby was "so tiny it took more than a few weeks for the tears of relief to dry".
The Princess was due to give birth to her daughter in early spring, and in December received medical advice not to travel long distances. She joined the royal family at church in Sandringham on Christmas Day after changing her travel plans from spending the festive period overseas, with doctors said to have warned that a premature arrival was a possibility.
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Princess Beatrice told the Borne Podcast she hopes her support of the campaign will "bring as many people that have had their own stories, to come and share them", adding: "Then maybe we can learn from each other."
"My favourite thing about being a mum is the fact that it's like a secret, you know, it almost feels like a secret club of sharing stories," she added. "And I love the fact that Borne is there to support them [mothers] when they're going through something incredibly traumatic, and how can we make sure that phenomenal data, great tools, great doctors, have everything at their disposal so that no Mum can feel alone."
© PA Images via Getty ImagesLast week, Beatrice visited the charity's research laboratories at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London as part of the Every Week Counts campaign, where she was joined by Borne ambassador and TV presenter and meteorologist Laura Tobin. The Princess also hosted a special event at London's Battersea Power Station, which brought together researchers, families and supporters.
© Annabel Moeller / BorneSpeaking about her visit to the research lab, Beatrice said: "The most interesting part for me is to look at the kit that's being used. I love the idea of technology, I'm a technology optimist, but I love the way that you've got incredible doctors who have access to the most amazing investment. I know that Borne has funded a lot of those really unique tools to be able to ask better questions and that's what really gets me excited, is to really see the fact that these things are going to be readily available, they are going to make a difference, even now to some of the big questions around preterm labour."
© PA Images via Getty ImagesBeatrice married property developer, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, in 2020. The couple share daughters, Sienna, four, and ten-month-old Athena, while Edoardo also has nine-year-old Christopher Woolf, known as Wolfie, from his previous relationship with Dara Huang.
Premature birth statistics
Each year, 60,000 babies are born prematurely in the UK, making for one in 13 births. Globally, 15 million babies are born early, and complications from prematurity remain the leading cause of neonatal death and lifelong disability, according to Borne. Yet, pregnancy and childbirth receive less than 2 percent of medical research funding, the charity said.
