A member of the royal family will visit an Edmonton hospital next week to tour a new multi-million pound ward.

Princess Anne will be shown round the £21 million maternity unit at North Middlesex Hospital in Sterling Way, Edmonton, on Thursday, February 27.

Staff at the maternity unit have been awarded the maternity team of the year 2013 by Royal College of Midwives (RCM).

The Princess Royal is a patron of the college and is helping to raise the profile of midwifery in the UK.

Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “I am delighted that the Princess Royal is making this visit to the award-winning maternity service. It is a wonderful opportunity to show her the different choices available to women, including midwife-led care in action in an urban setting.

“She will have a chance to hear first-hand from mothers, midwives and other maternity staff about the unit and how it is delivering a first class service for women, babies and their families."

Fiona Laird, head of midwifery at the hospital, said: “I am delighted that the Princess Royal is making this visit. It is a wonderful opportunity to show her our new maternity unit and for our midwives, support staff, volunteers and doctors to talk to her and share their experiences of working at North Middlesex University Hospital.”