Duchess of Cambridge has surprise encounter with midwife who helped deliver Princess Charlotte

The Duchess of Cambridge shared a hug today with the midwife who helped to deliver Princess Charlotte.

Kate, who is expecting her third child in April, was reunited with Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent as she visited the London headquarters of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) to learn about their global health programmes.

It was announced today that she had become patron of the RCOG and the Nursing Now campaign.

Professor Dunkley-Bent, head of Maternity, Children and Young People at NHS England, said: "It was a surprise and an absolute pleasure to be reunited with Kate again today.

"Supporting families at the birth of their baby - including future kings and queens - is hugely rewarding and we're very grateful to have the Duchess of Cambridge's support for the nursing profession."

Kate also visited St Thomas’ Hospital, London, to help launch the Nursing Now global campaign, aimed at raising the status and profile of nurses.

In a speech, she said: “This campaign means a lot to me personally. My great-grandmother and grandmother were both volunteer nurses. They would have learned first-hand from working with the Voluntary Aid Detachment and the Red Cross about the care and compassion that sometimes only nurses can provide.

“Decades on, nursing has come a long way and continues to play a significant role in all our lives. From what I have seen from visits to hospices and hospitals across the country, nurses are always there. You care for us from the earliest years. You look after us in our happiest and saddest times. And, for many, you look after us and our families, at the end of our lives.”

Tomorrow, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will carry out their first joint engagement together.

The four young royals will take part in the first annual Royal Foundation Forum to discuss current projects and ambitions for the future.

Meghan will formally become the fourth patron of the Foundation after her wedding to Harry on May 19.