Prince Edward officially opened the new NHS Nightingale hospital in Bristol from his home office on Monday afternoon – giving us a glimpse inside his personal workspace in the process. The Earl of Wessex featured in a short video from his home, Bagshot Park in Surrey, sitting at his desk. In the background, a wall-to-ceiling wooden bookshelf could be seen, displaying an impressive collection of novels, as well as several trinkets and personal photos. In the video, Edward said: "Sincere congratulations must got to every single one of you involved in constructing this hospital in just 24 days. A quite remarkable achievement and one that you should be justly proud of."
VIDEO: Watch Prince Edward virtually open the new NHS Nightingale hospital
Prince Edward opened the new Nightingale hospital in Bristol from her home office
The Queen's youngest son also took the opportunity to praise everyone working in the health service and contributing to the fight against coronavirus. He said: "Today, we once again owe a huge debt of gratitude to everyone working in the health service, whatever your role. Whether your treating those suffering from COVID-19 or if you're looking after all the other patients who still need your care, or keeping our hospitals running. We also ought to take a moment to think about those who are currently coping with the disease, or recovering from it."
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Edward with wife Sophie and their children Lady Louise and James Viscount Severn
Edward follows in the footsteps of his older brother Prince Charles, who opened the Ysbyty Calon Y Ddraig, Dragon's Heart Hospital, a temporary coronavirus hospital located at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, last week, as well as the London-based NHS Nightingale hospital. Touching upon the job in hand, the Earl said: "It is somewhat a curious experience to be asked to open a facility that we hope will not be required. It is here for reassurance for the people of Wessex, and to save lives."
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The father-of-two is currently self-isolating at home with his wife, the Countess of Wessex, and their children, Lady Louise and James Viscount Severn. The family live close to Windsor Castle, and before the lockdown they were regularly pictured horse riding inside the grounds of the Queen's home. It isn't just Edward who has been doing his bit to show his support for those fighting against the coronavirus pandemic either. Sophie has been volunteering at several kitchens to help make food for NHS workers. The mother-of-two has also been taking part in Zoom conference calls with her charities to help support them during the lockdown.
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