Sophie Wessex dons a headscarf as she joins Prince Edward to mark Eid by packing food parcels for vulnerable people at the Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking
- Earl and Countess of Wessex said they were ‘delighted’ to be at the mosque
- Revealed they have been learning about how the community is pulling together
- Helped get much-needed supplies out to those most impacted by Covid-19 crisis
The Earl and Countess of Wessex helped pack food parcels at a mosque in Woking to mark the beginning of Eid on Saturday.
The royal couple, who are currently isolating nearby at their Bagshot Park home in Surrey, volunteered at the Shah Jahan Mosque to show their support for the Muslim community at the end of Ramadan.
Sophie, 55, donned a headscarf outside the mosque as she and Edward, 56, delivered a video message discussing their visit, which was shared on the Royal Family’s Twitter account.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex helped pack food parcels at a mosque in Woking (pictured) to mark the beginning of Eid on Saturday
The mother-of-two said: ‘We’re delighted to be here at the Woking Mosque and we’ve been learning how the community have been really holding out the hand of friendship to everybody in the Woking community supporting people through this crisis.
‘We thank you so much for all of the efforts that you’ve made.’
Edward concluded: ‘Yes, we owe a huge thank you to everyone for all you’ve been doing across the whole community. And we wish you an Eid Mubarak.’
The mosque has been working with local churches, businesses and citizens to prepare and deliver food parcels to vulnerable members of the community.
The mosque has been working with local churches, businesses and citizens to prepare and deliver food parcels to vulnerable members of the community. Pictured: the Earl and Countess of Wessex on Saturday
Sophie, pictured with Edward during the visit, said: ‘We’re delighted to be here at the Woking Mosque and we’ve been learning how the community have been really holding out the hand of friendship to everybody in the Woking community’
So far it has distributed over 700 parcels during the pandemic.
During their visit, the couple met with Imam Hafiz Hasmi and his wife Kawther Akhtar, leaders at Surrey Faith Links who strive to promote good relations within faith and community groups throughout the UK.
Speaking about the royal visit at the weekend, Shahid Azeem, High Sheriff of Surrey, said in a statement: ‘The Earl and Countess of Wessex were warmly welcomed back to Woking and we were delighted with their help getting much-needed supplies out to those most impacted by the crisis.
‘We were also proud to share our story and to show them the remarkable, collaborative effort being undertaken by the entire community here.’
Sophie, 55, covered her head with a scarf outside the mosque as she and Edward, 56, delivered a video message discussing their visit, which was shared on the Royal Family’s Twitter account
The Wessexes have been busy volunteering in their local area during the pandemic, with Sophie helping to prepare boxes of food and baby supplies for vulnerable people at The Lighthouse Foodbank in Woking
She also visited St. Peter’s Hospital in Chertsey on International Nurses Day to pack food parcels for its healthcare workers.
Last week the countess was said to be ‘incredibly saddened’ by the closure of a children’s hospice facility after the coronavirus pandemic saw it lose £2million in funding.
Sophie is patron of Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, a charity which cares for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions, and their families.
The organisation, which has also been visited by other senior royals including Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge, has been forced to close one of its sites in Hampton, south west London, reported The Mirror.