The Countess of Wessex paid a special visit to a place very close to her heart on Wednesday afternoon. Sophie went to Shooting Star Chase hospice in Hampton, where she spent time talking to children with life-limiting conditions and their families, all of whom are supported by the charity. Her visit included biscuit decorating and HRH read a story called That’s Not My Princess to the young patients.
The Countess is Royal Patron of Shooting Star Children’s Hospices
The children the mother-of-two met on Wednesday were Albie, who has hypoglycaemia, cardiomyopathy and other specified congenital malformation syndromes, Jordan, who has a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, Gwen, who has spina bifida, Imogen, who lives with Canavan disease, and Emma, who has defects in glycoprotein degradation – a metabolic condition.
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Prince Edward and Sophie share two children
The Countess also made a short speech to the nurses and care staff who work at the hospice, saying: “Thank you for what you do in looking after these wonderful and beautiful children. The care and love that you show to every single child who comes through the door is immeasurable. You are their family when they’re here. The parents trust you completely with their children and no price can be put on that. And to all of the people who are helping to fund this amazing organisation, thank you – it’s a very special place and I know that many families couldn’t survive without Shooting Star Children’s Hospices.”
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Sophie is Royal Patron of Shooting Star Children’s Hospices and officially opened the charity’s Guildford hospice, Christopher’s, in 2002. The Countess has continued to support the charity with regular visits to both hospices and recently hosted a special reception at Buckingham Palace for the charity. She married the Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward in 1999 and the couple share daughter Lady Louise Windsor, 16, and James, Viscount Severn, who is 12.
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