The British royals are continuing to do some royal duties during this pandemic, but their modus operandi has changed. Instead of going out and visiting people, they are working by telephone to keep in contact with their patronages and other organizations. Additionally, the BRF social media teams are working to provide information and show how the royals are handling things. Previously, we never would have gotten a social media post about a meeting but today Kensington Palace released a clip of a phone call Prince William and The Duchess of Cambridge had on Wednesday, April 1, with staff from two hospitals.
William and Kate spoke to the staff at Queen’s Hospital Burton and University Hospital Monklands to thank them for their work battling COVID-19, and heard from them the impact of COVID-19 on their personal and professional lives, and how they’ve been supporting one another.
In the clip KP posted to social media, William is heard saying:
We’d just like to say from the two of us how proud we are of all of you and how amazing you are all doing under extreme circumstances. Now I know all of you see this as your job, and you get on with it, but generally this is a different level and you guys are doing an incredible job. And the whole country’s proud of you, not just us, we really mean that. So thank you for everything you’re doing and all the hours you guys are putting in.
KP IG
Prince Charles has recovered from COVID-19, after testing positive on March 25. Yesterday, April 1, Clarence House released a video message from Charles, as Patron of Age UK, about the loneliness the elderly are experiencing, as well as the work of the NHS workers. Charles says:
Having recently gone through the process of contracting this coronavirus, luckily with relatively mild symptoms, I now find myself on the other side of the illness but still in no less a state of social distance and general isolation.
As we are all learning, this is a strange, frustrating, and often distressing experience, when the presence of family and friends is no longer possible, and the normal structures of life are suddenly removed. At such an unprecedented and anxious time in all out lives, my wife and I are thinking particularly of all those who have lost their loved ones in such very difficult and abnormal circumstances, and of those having to endure sickness, isolation, and loneliness. As Patron of Age UK, and my wife the Patron of Silver Line, our hearts go out to all those older people throughout this country who are now experiencing great difficulty.
However, we also know that in every community up and down this land, where people of all ages are being affected by this virus, there are truly wonderful neighbors, individuals, and groups of volunteers who are providing ceaseless care and attention to those most at risk, and that all this network of selfless assistance is, in itself, helping to provide vital support and reassurance to the hard-pressed professional services. And at a time when doctors, nurses, and all the vital ancillary staff that form the backbone of our remarkable NHS are increasingly under such enormous strain, and risk, as they battle heroically to save lives in intensive care centers and to contain, as much as possible, the spread of this virus, our thoughts and prayers are very much with those marvelous people whose extraordinary skills and utter, selfless devotion to duty and the care of their patients make us so very proud.
Indeed, it has been so wonderful to see just how many across the NHS volunteers, offering their help to do whatever they can to provide support to those on the frontline. It is clearly essential, therefore, that such key people are treated with special consideration when coming off their exhausting duties and trying to do their shopping, for instance, while having to contend with constant anxiety about their own family and friends. In this regard, we also think of all those many shop workers who are toiling as hard as they can throughout each and every night to keep supermarket shelves stocked – a further “emergency service” on which we are all relying.
As a nation, we are faced by a profoundly challenging situation which we are only too aware threatens the livelihoods, businesses, and welfare of millions of our fellow citizens. None of us can say when this will end, but end it will. Until it does, let us try and live with hope and with faith in ourselves and each other, look forward to better times to come.
Clarence House Twitter
As Patron of @age_uk, The Prince of Wales shares a message on the Coronavirus pandemic and its effect on the older members of the community. pic.twitter.com/a6NEFPOtvQ
— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) April 1, 2020
Both of these things are moral-boosting because the royals can’t really do anything else right now. I’m really surprised we haven’t heard from The Queen yet, considering most of the royal royal houses of Europe have released something from their monarch. I really like what Charles had to say here, though; it seemed genuine. There were times in the video where his frustration at the virus came through a little bit and it was nice to see.
