Kate visits special educational needs centre

The princess joined a family session at The Orchards Centre in Sittingbourne

Catherine, Princess of Wales has paid a visit to a centre for children with special education needs in Kent.

The princess joined a family session at The Orchards Centre in Sittingbourne on Wednesday.

During the visit, a father of a special needs child said he “struck a chord” with Catherine when discussing his wife’s severe morning sickness during her pregnancy.

Stephen Ikebuwa, from Gravesend, said: “You could see her expression change. She went through the same thing.”

The visit was as part of her Shaping Us campaign, which looks to highlight the importance of supporting children and parents in all sorts of circumstances.

The princess played with children during the visit

Mr Ikebuwa, 44, who was at the centre with his son, Nathan, said the princess’ expression changed after he informed her that his wife had hyperemesis gravidarum during her pregnancy.

The condition causes severe vomiting and often requires hospital treatment.

In a podcast in 2020, the princess said she was “not the happiest of pregnant people” while living with the condition during her past pregnancies.

Mr Ikebuwa said: “It was nice meeting her and when I told her that my wife had hyperemesis gravidarum, it struck a chord with her.

“I remember one of her visits in a hospital she said something about how she had hyperemesis gravidarum.

“You can see her connection to the fact that my wife went through all that, and that really resonated with me.”