Kensington Palace has announced the Duchess of Cambridge has become the Patron of Evelina London Children’s Hospital on Tuesday, 11 December 2018.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited after the announcement to learn more about how the hospital supports children and their families, and specialist services available for children with rare and complex illnesses.

The hospital provides a range of services for children across south London and south-east England from neonatal throughout childhood and into adult life.

The Duchess of Cambridge has seen first-hand, through past visits to hospitals and hospices, the impact that comprehensive care and support can have on young children.

Her new patronage will provide an opportunity to champion those medical professionals working on the front line in children’s healthcare and highlight their work supporting children during their early years.

Marian Ridley, Director of Evelina London, said, ‘We are absolutely delighted and deeply honoured The Duchess of Cambridge has chosen to become our Patron. The Duchess shares our passion for giving children and young people the very best start in life and Her Royal Highness’ support will help champion the life-saving care our staff are providing to our patients.

‘It is a huge pleasure to welcome Their Royal Highnesses back to our hospital and we are absolutely delighted that they are able to join us as we begin to celebrate our milestone 150th anniversary. We are immensely grateful for Their Royal Highnesses’ support and we look forward to working closely with The Duchess as our Patron.’

Brief History

Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild founded the original hospital in 1869, at Southwark, in memory of his wife’s death.

Evelina de Rothschild had died, aged 27, after going into premature labour and giving birth to a stillborn son three years earlier.

Over 300 hundred children were admitted to the 30-bed hospital during the first year.

Evelina London Children’s Hospital was closed to inpatients during World War II as it served as a casualty ward.

It was bombed three times during the blitz, in 1940, again in 1941 and in 1944.

Evelina London Children’s Hospital merged with Guy’s Hospital, following the creation of the National Health Service in 1946.

The hospital closed down in 1976, after it moved to Guy’s Tower in 1973, with hospital services for children becoming more specialised during the next 30 years, such as children’s heart surgery, nephrology and neurology.

In 2005, Evelina London Children’s Hospital moved to St Thomas’ Hospital to a new building so it doesn’t feel like a hospital, with state-of-the-art equipment and services, including two new operating theatres.

Today, Evelina London Children’s Hospital offers a wide range of services meeting the needs of south London’s children while offering highly specialist care for children from across south-east England and beyond.

Evelina London Children’s Hospital, now based in Lambeth, will be celebrating their 150th Anniversary in 2019.

Did You Know?

Prince George Duke of Cambridge was a guest at Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild’s wedding to Evelina as her parents were one of the most wealthy and influential families in England.

Visit the Evelina London Children’s Hospital website for more details – https://www.evelinalondon.nhs.uk/Home.aspx