News
The Duchess vists a hospital for sick children in Budapest
19th March 2010
The Duchess of Cornwall met sick children when she visited Hungary's leading children's hospital during Their Royal Highnesses visit to Central Europe.
Her Royal Highness had an instant rapport with a four-month-old infant being cradled by its mother when she toured wards at the medical institution in Budapest.
The Duchess's visit to Semmelweis University's second department of paediatrics heralded the start of the institution's 125th anniversary celebrations.
Staff took her around a number of rheumatology and immunology wards where youngsters were being treated for various conditions.
In one small room young Aida and her mother Adrienn Turcsik were sat on a bed.
The Duchess went up to the four-month-old and asked: "What's wrong with her?"
The baby smiled and a doctor explained the infant had a urinary tract infection and a fever but was responding to treatment.
The Duchess, who is touring Eastern Europe with The Prince of Wales, is a proud grandmother of five grandchildren.
When The Duchess was told Aida's age she replied: "She's not much older than my grandsons."
The infant made The Duchess smile when she reached up with her tiny hands to the royal visitor.
The medical institution is an innovative hospital that was the first in Hungary to encourage the involvement of parents in the wards.
It is at the forefront of early diagnosis of the brittle bone disease osteoporosis, a disease The Duchess has a special interest in, as she is President of the National Osteoporosis Society in the UK.
Before leaving the institution The Duchess unveiled a plaque commemorating her visit and told the gathered medical staff: "It's been a great honour for me to visit this wonderful hospital and I would just like to congratulate all the nurses, all the staff, all the doctors for doing such a wonderful job looking after all these sick children."
During the day, The Prince and The Duchess visited Hungary's impressive parliament building which has been home to the country's politicians since the turn of the 19th Century.
While The Prince held talks with Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai, The Duchess toured the stunning building on the banks of the River Danube.
When The Duchess went to the children's hospital, The Prince travelled to Raday Castle outside Budapest to tour parts of the attraction and hold discussions with officials about Hungary's heritage.
Their Royal Highnesses later came together for a reception at the British Embassy in the capital.
They met British officials and also chatted to Paul Ronson, a 91-year-old Russian-born Hungarian who served in the British Army during the Second World War.
Mr Ronson saw service with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers but later joined the military government which controlled the area of Germany that included the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
The pensioner, who left the Army in 1948 as a staff sergeant, said he was the first Allied soldier to enter the camp where Anne Frank died.
He said: "It was 1945, April 12. My commanding officer and myself were the first. It was something you cannot imagine.
"My commanding officer ordered no-one to leave because there were a lot of sick people and we had called for medical help."