If you’ve been following the Queen’s activity, you’ll know the 94-year-old monarch has been video calling relatives right and left, including baby Archie. But while other royals like Prince William and Kate Middleton have opened up those video calls to the public, the Queen had preferred to keep her communications private — until now. In honor of Carers Week, Queen Elizabeth II joined her daughter Princess Anne on a public Webex video call where they chatted with unpaid caregivers across the UK. These unsung heroes deserve an audience with the Queen, and now they have it.
Anne is the president of the Carers Trust, a charity organization to recognize and support caregivers, and had already been planning a call when the Queen decided to join in at the last minute. According to CEO Gareth Howells, the change of plans sent shock waves through the group of carers tapped to participate — followed by deep gratitude.
The Queen and The Princess Royal spoke to a group of carers who are supported by The @Carers.Trust to find out more about the challenges they face. The Princess Royal has been President of The Carers Trust since it was launched in 2011. The Trust provides support to carers across the UK through their network of partners, as well as giving carers a voice and highlighting their work to the general public. To find out more about Carers Week, follow our link in bio.
A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Jun 11, 2020 at 2:40am PDT
“The carers were nervous enough to have the Princess Royal but to be told a few days before that Her Majesty would be joining us was really nerve-wracking,” Howells admitted to People. “But they loved the unique opportunity to raise the profile of carers across the U.K. as well…o be able to have the greater profile of Her Majesty joining the call as well, to raise the awareness of unpaid carers during Carers Week, was really crucial.”
The Queen herself feels passionately about the cause as well, and shared how pleased she was to take part in the discussion. “Interesting listening to all your tales and stories,” she told the carers. “I’m very impressed by what you have achieved already. I am very glad to have been able to join you today.”
We can’t think of a higher-profile way to draw attention to a cause than getting the Queen involved, and her Majesty is making it clear where her priorities lie during these strange and troubled times: with those who step up and care for others in their times of need. It’s a powerful statement to make her first public videochat a conversation with these carers, and it proves the Queen is as politically (and technologically!) savvy as ever.
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