Last week, Princess Beatrice helped celebrate the 10th anniversary of Russell House, a children’s hospice, being built. Beatrice has been Patron of the hospice since 2012, when she officially opened Russell House, which is part of Forget Me Not Children’s hospice.
The heavily-pregnant Royal was in excellent spirits as she met with patients, staff and volunteers.
Speaking at the event, Beatrice said: “In the last 10 years, the charity has supported over 800 families – I am simply lost for words as to the difference that this support has made to so many lives.”
Princess Beatrice Beatrice met the families and children supported by the hospice. (Forget Me Not Children/Twitter)
“When people ask me why I became the Patron of this amazing charity, I only have to explain how much of an important part of the community Russell House and the charity has become,” Beatrice said. “And how much of a momentous achievement it is for us to be stood here today celebrating 10 years of supporting that community.”
Not letting her baby bump get in the way, The Queen’s granddaughter grabbed a shovel and helped to bury a time capsule, which celebrated the major anniversary.
Beatrice planted a time capsule to mark the major anniversary. (Forget Me Not Children/Twitter)
The time capsule included a letter written by Beatrice, a note from a mother supported by Forget Me Not, a child’s handprint, and some photos of Russell House.
At the garden party, the young Royal also met with some of the hospice’s families.
Gareth Pierce, director at Forget Me Not said: “Our hope is that one day in the future when this time capsule is discovered, people will get an intriguing taste of what has been a unique year for Forget Me Not – unique because of the pandemic of course.
Beatrice helped mark the 10th anniversary of Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice’s Russell House. (Forget Me Not Children/Twitter)
A heavily pregnant Princess Beatrice met children supported by the hospice during the visit. (Forget Me Not Children/Twitter)
He continued: “But also unprecedented because of the opportunity our 10 year celebrations have given us to reflect on how far we’ve come, how many families have found sanctuary here at Russell House and the difference our support has made to those families. And to recognise how none of this would have been possible without the support of our local communities.”
The visit came a couple of weeks before the Princess gave birth to a baby girl on Saturday 18th September. The new baby is The Queen’s twelfth great-grandchild and the second grandchild for Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, after the birth of August in February.
Edo already has a son, Christopher, but nicknamed Wolfie, who was born in 2016; in the family’s announcement, they said that they were ‘looking forward to introducing their daughter to her big brother Christopher Woolf’.
