The Queen appeared in a good mood today as she made a surprise visit to a hospice with the Princess Royal to open its new center.
Her Majesty, 96, traveled the short distance from her Windsor Castle home of Maidenhead to visit Thames Hospice to meet staff, volunteers and a patient.
The monarch, who moved around using her now-familiar cane, looked effortlessly elegant in a blue floral dress as she appeared next to her daughter, The Princess Royal, 71, in the Berkshire area this morning.
For over 30 years, the hospice has provided palliative and end-of-life care and support to people in East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire. twice as many patients.
The Queen appeared in good spirits today as she made a surprise visit to a hospice with the Princess Royal to open the new center
The monarch, who moved using her now-familiar cane, looked effortlessly elegant in a blue floral dress when she appeared next to her daughter, The Princess Royal, 71, in the Berkshire area this morning.
Her Majesty, 96, traveled the short distance from her home in Windsor Castle to Maidenhead to visit Thames Hospice to meet staff, volunteers and a patient
Her Majesty stands next to Jonathan Jones, Chairman of the Trustees, after unveiling a plaque during a visit to officially open the new building at Thames Hospice
The 96-year-old queen signs the guestbook during her appearance this morning, along with her daughter Princess Anne, 71
The services are free to those in need of care, and more than 50 per cent of the £13 million annual operating cost comes from charitable support.
It took three years of fundraising to reach the £6m target needed to complete the £22m build, which first opened its doors in 2020.
Tuesday the queen joked with NHS leaders and health professionals as she hosted a small audience at Windsor Castle to honor Britain’s health service with the George Cross.
The 96-year-old was joined by Prince Charles as she handed out the medal, second only to the Victoria Cross, and praised NHS leaders from four countries on how the UK handled the vaccine rollout during the pandemic.
The head of state looked relaxed and wore a pretty floral dress for the ceremony, while the royals were joined by frontline workers from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Also in attendance was May Parsons, the nurse who delivered the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials to Maggie Keenan on December 8, 2020.
For over 30 years, the hospice has provided palliative and end-of-life care and support to people in East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire
The Queen, alongside Princess Anne, right, unveils a plaque during a visit to officially open the new building at Thames Hospice, Maidenhead
On Tuesday, the Queen (pictured left) celebrated the NHS’s achievements over the decades by awarding the institution the George Cross at a ceremony she hosted in Windsor
Princess Anne appeared next to the Queen during this morning’s performance, dressed in a stylish diamond ensemble
The Queen pictured after the unveiling of the plaque. The new £22m state-of-the-art facility means the center can cater for twice as many patients
The Queen was in great shape, and when she heard about the nurse’s historic first, she made her guests laugh with the quip, “You’re alive?”
When the nurse said to the Queen, ‘We are terribly, terribly proud of the vaccination rollout, it was so successful,’ she replied, ‘Yes, it was great.’
And when Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of NHS England, drew attention to the tens of millions stabbed, the monarch said ‘huge’.
When the Queen asked, “And what are you going to do with it?” regarding the medal, she was told by Pritchard that she would be touring the NHS before finding a permanent home.
Each health manager of the four nations and their front-line colleagues took turns to receive a George Cross placed on a pillow worn by Lt. Col. Tom White of the Queen’s Equerry.
The queen touched the pillow in a gesture to symbolize its presentation.
The centre’s services are free to those in need of care, and more than 50 per cent of the £13 million annual operating cost comes from charitable support. Pictured, the Queen during today’s visit
The smiling monarch walks beside Jonathan Jones, chairman of the trustees, with her radiant daughter Princess Anne behind the couple
The Queen moved using her now-familiar walking stick during today’s visit after traveling from her home at Windsor Castle to Thames Hospice.
The queen looked sophisticated in a blue floral dress, paired with a black handbag and glittering sapphire brooch
All in the details: the queen completed her ensemble with a pair of earrings and her matching necklace
Lieutenant Colonel Michael Vernon, Comptroller of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office and responsible for organizing ceremonial events, read George Cross’s quote at the start of the ceremony.
He said: ‘It is with great pleasure, on behalf of a grateful nation, that the George Cross has been awarded to the National Health Services of the United Kingdom.
“This award recognizes all NHS staff, past and present, across all disciplines and all four countries. For more than seven decades, and especially in recent times, you have supported the people of our country with courage, compassion and dedication by demonstrating the highest standards of public service.
“You have our lasting thanks and sincere appreciation.”
It is the Queen’s first public engagement since she enjoyed a short stay at Sandringham.
The Queen was spotted traveling back to Windsor last week after spending several days with her husband, the late Duke of Edinburgh.