Princess of Wales interrupted by burping baby as she meets health visitors

They say never work with children or animals but the Princess of Wales took it in her stride when she was nearly upstaged by a burping baby on a royal visit.

The 41-year-old was interrupted as she met mothers and health visitors  at Riversley Park Children’s Centre in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, as part of her work in promoting early years learning.

“Well done you,” she said, turning to Raphael Pickering, the oblivious ten-month-old offender, as a split second of horrified silence was followed by nervous laughter.

The baby’s mother, Brogan Goodwin, 24, may have wanted the ground to swallow her up but for the Princess, it really was all in a day’s work.

“It’s always really reassuring,” she said as she recalled spending “ages” trying to make her own three children burp when they were younger.

Ms Goodwin said afterwards: “I thought he was going to be sick, I thought ‘please don’t vomit on the Princess’. But luckily it was only a burp.

“I’m going to wait till his 18th birthday to tell him.”

Raphael may have stolen the show but for the Princess, the visit offered an opportunity to hear how an NHS trial - the first she has instigated in the course of her early years work - was going.

The Royal Foundation is funding the £50,000 field study into a system designed to support the emotional development of babies.

The Princess saw the tool, called the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB), in action during an official visit to Copenhagen last February and was so impressed that she began exploring whether it could be introduced in this country.

Used by health visitors at the regular six to eight-week check, it helps to identify babies at risk as well as showing parents and carers how to communicate with their infants.

The pilot scheme will run until December at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust and Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust.

The Princess is keen to champion the role of health visitors, who are in contact with parents and carers in the first days and weeks after birth.

Speaking to staff, she said “the more health visitors the better” as she praised their work.

“You play such a critical role in society for families and I’m aware of the pressure you are under,” she added.

Discussing her work with the under-fives, she said it was vital it was to take a “holistic” approach.

“Right at the beginning the more you can do to help facilitate that the better the opportunities are later on,” she said.

The Princess joined an online ABDD session, noting: “How much you can pick up in terms of baby cues at such a small age and help pass on to parents … and signs to look for, and this is how they communicate with you, I find that fascinating.”

She later sat down for a chat with new mothers and babies including Mischa Kerr, 36, and her nine-month-old daughter Talia Saliba-Kerr, who spent the entire session holding the Princess’s hand.

Ms Kerr, a mother-of-four, said afterwards: “I’m sure someone recorded it and will show it to me but her brothers will be jealous.

“It’s great that [the Princess] came down as it’s important that everyone learns what resources are available and the incredible work the health visitors are doing.”

The hour-long visit came as a surprise to Lindsay Martin, a 39-year-old mother-of-three, who arrived for an appointment for her son only to find herself at the centre of the melee that surrounds royal engagements.

“I thought there was a fire drill because so many people were outside so I sat in my car for ten minutes,” she admitted afterwards.

“It was only when I saw so many people in suits that I realised it was something different.”

Her three-year-old son, Nate, felt no such qualms, plonking himself down on the floor.

As luck would have it, he also happened to be wearing an Aston Villa shirt - a team all too familiar to the Princess and which immediately caught her eye.

Ms Martin said: “She initially came down to Nate and noticed his football shirt.

“I didn’t know she was coming today but I know William is a Villa fan and when she saw the shirt she said ‘I’ve seen that badge before’.

“Nate sat down in the middle of the gangway and refused to move.

“She apologised for interrupting Nate’s medical appointment.”

Sitting with the mothers, the Princess said: “You forget how tiny they are first born.

“At this age they are so aware of different voices and environments.”