Princess Kate dons blue power suit to open children’s surgery ahead of first meeting with Charles since ‘racism’ storm
PRINCESS Kate looked in high spirits as she opened the Evelina London Children’s Day Surgery Unit this morning.
The Royal mum-of-three put on a brave face amid the current Scobie “racism” row, as she arrived at the new centre and met with the hospital’s chief executive, Gubby Ayida.
Kate appeared cheerful and relaxed as she donned a royal blue power suit and elegant black heels.
The facility will boost much needed care for children and young people who need surgery by providing everything they need in one place.
It will offer a family-focused experience, and enable the organisation to treat an additional 2,300 children a year.
Evelina London’s impressive facilities already care for around 104,000 children and young people each year.
Kate visited the two new operating theatres and heard how families benefit from a one-day service, pre-surgery checks, operation and recovery all taking place in one purpose-built unit.
Hospital chief executive, Ms Ayida, said: “We put children, young people and families at the heart of everything we do, and you especially feel that when coming into our new unit.
“It was lovely to have this recognised with the Princess of Wales today, who values the importance of having a supported and nurturing environment for children through her work with The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood.”
Kate’s visit comes after royal aides have said Charles and the princess are continuing with ‘business as usual’ after the Endgame fallout.
Royal sources slammed the claims of racism, branding them “outrageous” and “mendacious smears”, as Buckingham Palace it understood to be ‘considering all options’.
“There has been no rush to make a decision and there certainly will not be a knee-jerk reaction,” an insider told the Mirror.
And, Charles and Kate will be meeting tonight for the first time since the vile drama unfolded.
They will join together with Queen Camilla and Prince William to put on a united front at Buckingham Palace for a Christmas gathering.
It will be the first time the family have met since Omid Scobie’s early Dutch version of his hatchet-job book Endgame suggested Kate and Charles were the two Royals who made remarks about the skin colour of Harry and Meghan’s first child, Archie.
The poisonous claims have been pilloried by Royal experts and in the fall out Scobie has been blasted for peddling “bulls**t” excuses about how the names were included in the Dutch translation.
It came after the Royal pair were plunged into yet another issue with the Sussexes as Piers Morgan revealed their names on his TalkTV show because they were already circulating abroad.
Nevertheless, tonight Charles and his family will be joined by more than 500 members of the Diplomatic Corps at the festive event.
In a bid to rise above the current “racism” row, Kate is also hosting a charity Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey as a senior Government minister praised the “dignity” and “grace” of both the princess and her father-in-law.
William and Kate similarly brushed off the drama brewing around them as they received a standing ovation at the Royal Variety Performance held at the Royal Albert Hall last week.
It was the first time the Royal couple had been seen since the royal “racist” row.
When they made their way inside the hall, the crowd cheered and clapped as the couple took their seats.
King Charles also put on a brave face as he attended the COP28 environment conference last week in Dubai.
Scobie previously defended himself on This Morning and said: “I wrote and edited the English version of the book with one publisher, that then gets licensed to other publishers.
“I obviously can’t speak Italian, German, French, Dutch or any of the other languages that it’s come out.
“I’m as frustrated as everyone else.”
He added: “I had never submitted a book that had their names in it. I can only talk about my version.
“I’m frustrated but I wouldn’t say I’m upset about it.”
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan are yet to comment on the “racism” row and have been “urged to break their deafening silence”.