Kate Middleton has her own way of coping with 'nerve-wracking' hospital trips with her children Prince George, Charlotte, and Louis and it's one you can try too.
Childhood illnesses are every parent's nightmare. From baby constipation and hand foot and mouth disease to Scarlett fever, having your child checked out at the hospital can often be an unplanned emergency.
The Princess of Wales visited the Evelina London Children's Hospital this week to officially open its new Children's Day Surgery Unit. During the visit, her children were at the forefront of her mind.
Having taken a tour of the new wing, Kate recalled the anxious times she'd taken her children, Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, to hospital for treatment. And although she didn't reveal what they had been to the hospital for, Kate shared the way she copes with the worrying time as a parent.
During her visit as patron of the medical centre, which cares for children with rare and complex conditions, she empathised with parents, and said, "It’s always nerve-wracking as a parent. I’ve taken mine into hospital for different things. You're always at least worried, but you’ve got a great team [here]."
Putting her trust in the medical professionals isn't the only way Kate copes.
During a brief chat with parent Miwa Stephenson, whose daughter Saya, four, was recovering from a minor procedure, Kate hugged her and said, "It's always a worry though for a parent. We have to keep our cool. It's so hard.”
The Children's Day Unit opened in July and it can treat an additional 2,300 children per year with conditions including tonsilitis, hand injuries, and minor plastic surgery. But it's the first time Kate has been able to pop along to officially open the unit with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony.
And Kate's personal touch was noted by the centre's receptionist Alice Green, who told PEOPLE, "I was really anxious earlier, but she was really lovely and down to earth. I thought it might be formal and strict, but it was so comfortable speaking to her. She was asking about our roles — and said that we are the face of Evelina, the first contact people. She wished us Merry Christmas.”
“She is well known for working with children, and it’s really lovely for her to come and speak to people and actually take interest. It is really lovely," she added.
In other royal news, there's Prince George and Princess Charlotte will reportedly ‘attend boarding school together’ after ‘heated debates’ between Prince William, Kate Middleton and King Charles III over the children's future and the one ‘slang’ word no one is ever allowed to call Prince George, Charlotte and Louis - and it’s tricky to avoid.
