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The Grange University Hospital received its first-ever Royal visit this week when Princess Anne was given a tour of its maternity unit.

Her Royal Highness visited the hospital, in Cwmbran, on Thursday September 11, when she met with staff and unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion.

The visit was to celebrate the work of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board’s maternity services, which have recently been recognised with the Diverse Cymru Silver Award for work promoting cultural inclusion.

This work includes a maternity volunteer scheme for people who’s first language isn’t English, as well as the creation of multilingual resources to provide accessible maternity information.

These achievements have been driven by the maternity team, including consultant midwife Emma Mills, who was recognised in 2023 with the Chief Midwifery Officer Award.

Health board chair Ann Lloyd CBE described the Royal visit as “historic” and said: “We were honoured to welcome Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and to showcase the exceptional work of our maternity teams, who are setting national standards in cultural competence and inclusive care.

“This visit was a wonderful recognition of their dedication to ensuring that every person, from every background, receives safe, respectful, and personalised maternity care.”

Jayne Beasley, the health board’s head of midwifery, said: “It was an absolute privilege to share our journey with The Princess Royal today. Our team is passionate about creating an environment where every person feels valued, understood, and supported.

“The projects we’ve introduced – from community volunteer schemes to multilingual resources – have all come from listening to the voices of the people we serve.

“The visit is a huge honour for our staff and for the communities who have worked with us to make this vision a reality.”