It’s rare to see the royals come together in the one place at the best of times, but it’s particularly unusual as the royal family is split right now, with its members isolating in various different locations.
But at a time where we’d likely have seen the royals congregate for the likes of Trooping the Colour in June, or a royal wedding like Princess Beatrice’s (which was to take place later this month), it seems that they’ve found another way to come together despite the difficult circumstances.
International Nurses Day fell on May 12 this year, and in light of the current health pandemic, their work was recognised more so than ever, as hard working nurses across the world continue to tirelessly lead the frontline for those who are ill and in need of care.
The Palace shared an incredible video of various members of the royal family partaking in Zoom calls with nurses across the world as they chatted candidly to the health workers and thanked them for their work.
In the new video, the Queen’s voice is heard speaking on the phone to a nurse, telling her that they have had a “very important part to play recently”.
The seconds-long segment in itself is groundbreaking by royal standards – the Queen’s personal phone calls have never been shared in this way, and it marks a significant break from tradition.
As the clip continues, Prince Charles is then seen in his home set-up, speaking on behalf of his wider family.
“On this International Nurses Day, my family and I wanted to join in a chorus of thank you to nursing and midwifery staff,” Charles said.
Leading the conversations was none other than Duchess Catherine and Sophie of Wessex, who took part in a video call with three Australian nurses based in Queensland.
“We’d love to hear what it’s been like on the ground,” Kate asked them.
“It has been as hectic here as it has been around the world,” one nurse replied.
Another told them, “Even in the emergency department we’ve been stepping up our protocols and guidelines.”
Sophie told them, “I hope you’re feeling some of the love as well.”
Kate and Sophie spoke to three nurses based in Queensland in time for International Nurses Day.
(Kensington Royal)The pair also spoke to nurses in India, thanking them for everything they do.
The ever classy Princess Anne is also seen having a conversation with a man in Tanzania, telling him: “You understand the islands, and what they need.”
Catherine later speaks to nurses in Malawi, pointing out that half of their population is under the age of 15, asking them what kind of challenges this poses.
The nurse explains that it does, but that by reaching out to people they do their best to help them.
Next, they spoke to two men working on the frontline in Cyprus.
Kate asks them if they are worried about their loved ones back home, to which a soldier replies, “I last saw my children in February”.
The Duchess quickly replies, “How are they doing with lockdown?”
The man assures her that they’re doing okay, and that his wife is a school teacher so she’s “been busy”.
Sophie jokingly replies, “Be careful, she’s about to be recruited!”.
Nurses imparted their thoughts about the current situation as the royals showed their support.
(Kensington Royal)The two royal mum’s worked flawlessly together in the video calls, and it was an incredibly rare, special moment to see them both team up in this unique way.
The sentiment was felt far and wide – in the comments section, fans took to the video to voice their praise.
“This is amazing 👏 I love the family collaboration and everyone coming together to celebrate real life heroes,” one wrote.
Another said: “Wonderful tribute by your family in recognising the amazing contribution our nursing staff are delivering in these unprecedented times within our NHS.”
One fan also pointed out the rather unexpected feat at the beginning of the video – a big break from royal tradition, might we add.
“So that’s how it would sound like if I was ever on the phone with the Queen! 😍”
There was also no looking past Kate’s chic outfit either, she opted for her blue polka-dot Altuzarra dress – a recycled look from 2016.
WATCH: Duchess Catherine speaks in another video call to discuss her photography project on This Morning. Story continues below…
The royals have been partaking in a number of Zoom video calls at present as they continue to work from their respective homes in the UK from isolation.
Over the weekend, they marked the VE Day celebrations in a similar way, with Duchess Catherine and Prince William calling a group of veterans for a virtual party of sorts.
If there’s one big skill the Cambridge family will be well and truly versed in by the time they’re back into public work, it’ll be the art of mastering a video call!
