The Queen opened the new premises of the Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals in London on Wednesday morning, which was coincidentally her son Prince Andrew's 60th birthday. The 93-year-old monarch, wearing a purple coat and matching hat, beamed as she stepped out of her car upon arrival.
READ: The Queen shares 60th birthday message for her son, Prince Andrew
WATCH: The Queen arrives to open dental hospital in London
During her visit, Her Majesty was able to see first-hand the work being carried out across the facility's specialities and visted the adult dental treatment floor, the paediatric treatment floor and the auditory implant centre. The Queen spoke to patients who have benefited from the hospitals’ care and meet staff, including dental and ENT clinicians. The monarch also met with children and families taking part in creative health play sessions, which are used to prepare young patients for treatment.
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The Queen arriving at the dental hospital
The state-of-the-art facility brings the Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital and the Eastman Dental Hospital together under one roof. The hospitals are part of UCLH (University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust), and the two institutions have combined histories of more than 230 years of innovation in healthcare. Both undertake groundbreaking research and develop new ways to treat rare and complex dental, ear, nose, throat, hearing and balance conditions. More than 200,000 appointments will be carried out each year at the new facility.
The Queen's visit to the hospital came on the day of her son the Duke of York's 60th birthday. The Royal Family shared a message on their Instagram account alongside a photo of Prince Andrew as a baby and a more recent image. The accompanying text reads: "On this day in 1960, Prince Andrew was born at Buckingham Palace, the first child born to a reigning monarch for 103 years. Happy Birthday to The Duke of York."
The Duke stepped back from royal duties in November 2019 and was last seen in public attending church with the Queen in Sandringham earlier this year.