Pregnant Princess Eugenie appears in anti-slavery charity video call

Princess Eugenie has made a glowing appearance in a new clip remembering the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster ahead of her ‘mid-February due date’. 

The Queen’s granddaughter, 30, and her husband Jack Brooksbank, 34, are set to welcome their first child later this month, according to Hello! Magazine

But ahead of her little one’s arrival, Eugenie, the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, appeared on a video as part of her role as co-founder of the Anti-Slavery Collective.

She wanted to ‘take the opportunity to remember the anniversary of the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster’ in the clip, shared to the organisation’s Instagram account this weekend.

The tragedy saw at least 21 Chinese undocumented immigrant labourers drowned by an incoming tide after picking cockles off the Lancashire coast.

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Princess Eugenie (pictured) has made a glowing appearance in a new clip remembering the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster ahead of her ‘mid-February due date’

The Queen's granddaughter (pictured in December), 30, and her husband Jack Brooksbank, 34, are set to welcome their first child later this month, according to Hello! Magazine

The Queen’s granddaughter (pictured in December), 30, and her husband Jack Brooksbank, 34, are set to welcome their first child later this month, according to Hello! Magazine

In the video, Eugenie, who appeared alongside co-founder Julia de Boinville, stunned in a black top featuring ruffle details across the shoulders.

She wore her hair straight and opted for a glamorous smattering of makeup to complete the look.

Speaking in the clip, Eugenie said: ‘Seventeen years ago, 21 Chinese undocumented immigrant labourers were drowned by an incoming tide after picking cockles off the Lancashire coast.

‘While their story is so tragic, it really isn’t very unique and it’s something that happens in modern slavery and has only worsened in the last years. There’s an estimated 24.9million victims of forced labour globally across the world.’

But ahead of her little one's arrival, Eugenie, the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, appeared on a video (pictured) as part of her role as co-founder of the Anti-Slavery Collective

But ahead of her little one’s arrival, Eugenie, the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, appeared on a video (pictured) as part of her role as co-founder of the Anti-Slavery Collective

Julia added: ‘Please join us in remembering them today.’

The post’s caption read: ‘Our co-founders, HRH Princess Eugenie and Julia de Boinville, wanted to take the opportunity to remember the anniversary of the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster.

What was the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster? 

Twenty-three Chinese migrant workers were drowned picking cockles in Morecambe Bay in 2004 after they were trapped by the rising tide.

The deaths of the men and women – aged between 18 and 45 – exposed the illegal practices of gangmasters who exploit vulnerable migrant workers for cheap labour.

All of the victims had been illegal immigrants, some of whom had only been in the UK for a few months before the tragedy.

The man who sent them out onto the sands in February 2004 – gangmaster Lin Liang Ren – was later given a 14-year prison sentence for manslaughter.

The remains of the dead were still being discovered in the area years after the tragedy, with the skull of Liu Qin Ying discovered there in 2010.

Her husband, Yu Hua Xu, was also among those that died, leaving their son in China an orphan after the tragedy.

‘At least 21 Chinese undocumented immigrant labourers drowned by an incoming tide after picking cockles off the Lancashire coast.

‘This is a tragic but sadly not uncommon story. On any given day in 2016, there were an estimated 24.9million victims of forced labour in the world, according to Walk Free and the ILO.

‘Sixteen million of those were exploited in sectors such as domestic work, construction, manufacturing, agriculture and fishing.’

Eugenie’s appearance comes after it was reported that her first child is due mid-February, according to Hello! Magazine.

The royal is pregnant with the Queen’s ninth great-grandchild, which will be the first grandchild of Prince Andrew, 60, and Sarah Ferguson, 61. 

According to Hello!, Eugenie is now again ‘nesting’ at Frogmore Cottage, following reports she’s moved back in with her parents at the nearby Royal Lodge over the Christmas break to prepare for her first child.  

The royal announced her pregnancy in a Instagram post in September, with a photo of herself and her husband, holding a pair of teddy bear slippers, with the caption ‘Jack and I are so excited for early 2021…’

The Queen is also expecting a tenth great-grandchild as her granddaughter Zara Tindall, who is married to England Rugby pro Mike Tindall, is pregnant with her third child.

Eugenie has been spotted across London sporting her baby bump in recent months.

She was pictured leaving her work at art gallery Hauser & Wirth in London’s Mayfair, in a Maje dress with a blue Zara coat just before Christmas. 

Jack and Eugenie, who wed in October 2018, were living at the three-bedroom Ivy Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace near Prince William and Kate Middleton until last year. 

When Prince Harry moved to the US with wife Meghan Markle, he is believed to have handed the keys to Frogmore Cottage to his cousin Eugenie. 

Jack and Eugenie, who wed in October 2018, were living at the three-bedroom Ivy Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace near Prince William and Kate Middleton until last year

Jack and Eugenie, who wed in October 2018, were living at the three-bedroom Ivy Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace near Prince William and Kate Middleton until last year