The Duchess of Cambridge will be taking home new teddy bears to Prince George and Princess Charlotte after a trip to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), adding to the generous gifts the children received in 2017.
Kate received the two cuddly toys – called Bernard and Wendy – from nine-year-old Ava Watt, who is a regular patient at the hospital due to having cystic fibrosis.
During the visit, the duchess met patients and parents before officially opening the latest phase in the institution’s redevelopment project.
Addressing a small crowd, which included supporters of the hospital, Kate said: “I just wanted to say a huge thank you for having me here today.
“It’s been my first trip to Great Ormond Street Hospital and I’ve been so impressed with everything I’ve seen and the scale of the work that’s going on here.
“It’s been wonderful to meet so many families and young people, and I’ve been so inspired by their bravery and courage at such a difficult time.”
Pregnant Kate, who was wearing a red coat by Boden, congratulated the hospital and its supporters, adding: “It means so much to the families, both to the parents and the children.
“You can see the real family element that the hospital brings at such a difficult time. So well done.”
Ava, who lives just around the corner from the hospital, said Kate told her the teddy bears will be “a lovely present”.
She also gave Kate a thank you card with a poem inside which said GOSH “gives hope to so many children and their families” and described it as a “magical place”.
Kate wore a red coat by Boden (John Stillwell/PA)
The annual list of presents received by members of the royal family was released on Wednesday, and reveals that George and Charlotte received armfuls of gifts on their overseas tour of Poland and Germany in July, receiving 59 presents between them.
These included 17 soft toys, two lollipops, three toy trains, a toy pram, three dresses, two pairs of socks and a dreamcatcher.
Ava’s mother Kylie Watt, 41, an opera singer who performed alongside James Corden in One Chance, also met Kate and said she thinks the duchess found the visit “emotional”.
Kate visited Sienna Mcguire, who is six months old and has a complex heart and lung condition after being born premature at 33 weeks.
Sienna, from Cambridgeshire, has spent much of her first six months in hospital as she does not have a right lung.
Bending down to see her, Kate said: “You’ve gone through a lot, missy.”
The duchess also met four-year-old Rafael Chana, from East Preston, who is waiting for a heart transplant.
Rafael told her he likes olives, and Kate said she loves them, adding: “I used to eat lots and lots of olives when I was little as well.”
He said he likes pasta, and Kate told him: “Charlotte likes pasta too.”
The completed Mittal Children’s Medical Centre at GOSH has transformed the hospital’s inpatient facilities and fulfils its goal of providing modern accommodation for all the young patients, and allowing parents or carers to stay comfortably by their bedside.
It was completed over two stages, first the Morgan Stanley Clinical Building was created followed by the recently finished Premier Inn Clinical Building.
The second clinical building involved redeveloping and refurbishing the children’s hospital’s cardiac wing and is now home to a new surgery centre alongside inpatient wards for medical specialties like infectious diseases and cardio-respiratory.
Later Kate, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, will visit Bond Primary School in Mitcham, south London to see the work of the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative.