The Countess of Wessex is doing her bit to help the frontline staff battling coronavirus. It has been revealed that Sophie volunteered to help package up food parcels for healthcare staff on International Nurses Day. The royal joined the group, Nourish our Nurses, on Tuesday morning, before meeting staff at St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey. She assisted a team of 16 volunteers as they packed and delivered 200 bags to the facility, and was pictured wearing gloves as she carried large bags of fruit and vegetables. And there was a surprise in store for the recipients. Sophie also added gold envelopes containing additional treats inside, including vouchers for afternoon tea and beauty treatments.
Sophie helped package up food parcels on International Nurses Day
Her thoughtful gesture came on the same day that she took part in calls to nurses around the world with the Duchess of Cambridge, as the royal family came together in a show of mass support. Kate, 38, and Sophie, 55, dialled in from their respective homes in Norfolk and Surrey, to join a video call with nurses in Queensland, Australia, who provide services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They also spoke with staff at the Aberdeen Women's Centre in Sierra Leone and LV Prasad Eye Institute in India, both of which Sophie has previously visited.
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In another Zoom call, they then spoke to HIV and maternal health nurses in Malawi, mental health nurses in the Bahamas, Army nurses in Cyprus and paediatric nurses from the UK's Evelina London Children's Hospital and Community Services, of which Kate is patron.
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The Duchess of Cambridge said to the nurses during one conversation: "I don't know how you manage to do this and keep the show on the road despite the extra pressures you’re all under and the challenging conditions – it's just shown how vital the role that nurses play across the world. You should be so proud of the work that you do."