The Queen, Sussexes and Cambridges have sent messages of support to Australians affected by the worst bushfire crisis in the country’s history.
In the messages, the royals expressed their shock over the horrific conditions and praised firefighters, emergency workers and the thousands of volunteers who are still battling to put the blazes out.
Embed from Getty ImagesQueen Elizabeth sent a message on Sunday morning which was addressed to the Governor-General of Australia, the Governor of New South Wales, Governor of Queensland, the Governor of Victoria and to all Australians.
The message reads:
I have been deeply saddened to hear of the continued bushfires and their devastating impact across many parts of Australia.
My thanks go out to the emergency services, and those who put their own lives in danger to help communities in need.
Prince Philip and I send our thoughts and prayers to all Australians at this difficult time.
Elizabeth R
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also shared a post on their Instagram page where they shined a spotlight on local charities and called for a global reaction to climate change.
The message reads:
Our thoughts and prayers are with those across Australia who are continuing to face the devastating fires that have been raging for months.
From areas we are personally connected to such as the communities and people we visited in New South Wales in 2018, to the fires in California and parts of Africa, we are struck by the increasingly overlapping presence of these environmental disasters, including of course the destruction of the Amazon which continues.
This global environmental crisis has now been described as Ecocide. It’s easy to feel helpless, but there’s always a way to help.
Then they included the links to The Australian Red Cross, Rural Fire Service New South Wales and Country Fire Authority Victoria where people can go to make a donation to support ongoing fire fighting and recovery efforts. The couple urged people to lend their support “to help as we have”.
The post featured three images from the fires; a rescued koala being held in a firefighter’s arms, smoke rising kilometres into the sky, and Australians seeking shelter from nearby fires on a beach surrounded by an orange haze.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have also sent their third message of support to Australians during the crisis.
The message reads:
We continue to be shocked and deeply saddened to hear about the fires that are destroying homes, livelihoods and wildlife across much of Australia.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all the people and communities who are affected by this devastating event.
We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who have tragically lost their lives and the brave firefighters who continue to risk their own lives to save the lives of others.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
The post was accompanied by a picture of a kangaroo rushing to escape the blazing inferno as a home is engulfed by flames in the background.
The Duke and Duchess have previously voiced their support for Australia, tweeting the fires in early November, on Thursday before their latest message.
The unprecedented fire season in Australia has seen 23 people lose their lives, over 1500 homes burned and experts estimate has killed at least half a billion animals, decimating koala populations.
The fires are expected to continue until at least, early March.
Embed from Getty Images
