The Queen and The Princess Royal participated in a video call to celebrate Carers Week 2020 in the UK, marking the first time Her Majesty has taken part in a virtual engagement as part of her duties.
The royal duo joined a group of carers on the call along with the CEO of The Carers Trust, Gareth Howells, to learn more about the work carers are doing and how they balance their own mental health and wellbeing whilst taking care of others.
Princess Anne has served as President of The Carers Trust since it was launched in 2011 and has given a voice to carers in the UK since she launched The Princess Royal Trust for Carers in 1991.
The Queen, speaking from the Oak Room of Windsor Castle, told the group it was “Interesting listening to all your tales and stories. I’m very impressed by what you have achieved already. I’m very glad to have been able to join you today.”
“I think we all recognise we know carers somewhere,” Princess Anne said. “Maybe we have stopped and wondered how on earth we can help.”
Four carers: Alex from Swansea, Nadia and Amna from London, and Mary from Dumfries took part in the call with The Queen and Princess Anne.
Nadia, who cares for her mother, father, husband, and daughter, told the Press Association that Her Majesty was on the call for about 20 minutes. “The Queen asked questions about how we all coped and called us extraordinary, which was very lovely,” she said.
According to the Royal Family’s post, seven million people in the UK serve as unpaid carers for an ill, frail, or disabled family member or friend.
“We are immensely grateful to Her Majesty The Queen and our President, The Princess Royal, for spending time to listen to carers speaking about the vital work they do, and the challenges they face,” Howells said. “We are also incredibly proud of the dedicated carers who joined the video call. In doing so they have raised the voices of carers right across the UK this Carers Week and have played a really important part in Making Caring Visible.”
