Duchess Catherine and Duchess Camilla have made their first joint engagement to mark Children’s Hospice Week.
Catherine, 38 and Camilla, 72, joined forces for a group video call with representatives of three of their patronages and Catherine promised to plant a sunflower in memory of a young boy whose brother raised £18,500 for the hospice that cared for him before his death.
Stuie Delf, 13, lost his nine-year-old brother Fraser in January, following a battle with Coats plus syndrome – which affects multiple organs and causes brain abnormalities – and, inspired by 100-year-old fundraiser Captain Sir Tom Moore, he completed a sponsored five kilometres run every day in May to raise money for the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
Speaking to Stuie and his parents, Stuart and Carla Delf, Catherine – who is a patron of EACH -said: "I hear you’ve been doing lots of fundraising, which has been amazing."
Camilla added: "Captain Tom has done a lot for this country, hasn’t he? He’s inspired so many people. You must be very fit, Stuie."
Stuie revealed he originally hoped to raise £500 for the hospice, which has experienced a loss in revenue due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but ended up with £18,500.
Speaking about EACH, Catherine said: "It’s a credit to the staff that they can provide the environment, the nurturing space for those families to help them go through long or short term care. It’s really awe-inspiring."
Camilla said: "We’d like to thank everybody that works for hospices across the UK for the incredible job you do and allowing families to treasure their moments together."
And, after the video call, Mr Delf revealed Catherine’s promised to the family.
He said: "[Catherine] said she was going to plant a sunflower in memory of Fraser."
Along with EACH, Catherine and Camilla also spoke to representatives from two of the Duchess of Cornwall’s patronages, Children’s Hospice South West and Helen & Douglas House.
Camilla said: "Thank you all for zooming in. I have to admit I was filled with a certain amount of trepidation [during her first visit to a children’s hospice] because I wasn’t sure what I was going to find. When I arrived I was totally amazed by what I found, the feeling of warmth and laughter and happiness."
Speaking about the call, Clarence House said in a statement: "Their Royal Highnesses wanted to thank all those involved in and supporting children’s hospices across the UK during this critical time."