Duchess Kate in tears after speaking to a mother in mourning.

The Duchess of Cambridge is a big softie.

At a royal engagement for the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH), four-month-pregnant Princess Kate had an exchange with a woman called Leigh Smith.

33-year-old Leigh had been in touch with the Duchess earlier this year. After losing her 3-month-old baby girl to a heart condition (cardiomyopathy), Leigh wrote a letter to Kate, the patron for the charity.

“I wrote to Kate after Beatrice’s death to tell her about the amazing support I’d received from EACH,” Leigh said to media at the event. “She wrote a personal letter back to me saying what an honor it was to hear my story. I thought that was so lovely as obviously it was such an honor to hear back from her. She said she was very touched to hear Beatrice’s story.”

At the event, Leigh and Kate were able to meet face-to-face for the first time. With tears in her eyes, the Duchess hugged Leigh, telling her, “You’re a very brave lady – I’m just so, so sorry.”

This picture, in a nutshell encapsulates the work of @EACH_hospices. Brave Leigh Smith and her daughter Beatrice. pic.twitter.com/tByIHM460q

— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) November 25, 2014

Leigh still had the strength to sing the praises of the organisation. “You can’t put a price on what EACH have given to every one of us. After a long night holding Beatrice in my arms she passed away on February 24 this year. EACH made arrangements for Beatrice to travel home to Norfolk and we met her at Quidenham Hospital. She arrived in a Moses basket and had her own room with her name on the door and was cared for with such respect and dignity.”

We’re thinking of you too, Leigh.

Duchess Catherine spoke to many mothers at the event
with children in need of the organisation’s care.

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