Prince William marked five years since the beginning of the Covid pandemic during a visit to Royal Berkshire Hospital on Wednesday, March 5.
William, 42, carried out the visit to the hospital in Reading, England, where the first Covid victim died in the U.K. in March 2020.
It’s also the hospital where William’s wife, Princess Kate Middleton, was born on January 9, 1982.
William’s visit not only honored the poignant anniversary of the pandemic, but it also celebrated NHS Charities Together, a U.K. charitable network “which continues to help NHS staff, patients and local communities,” according to a press release issued to Us Weekly.
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The organization raised more than £15 million, or around $19.2 million, after launching the Urgent COVID-19 Appeal in its first five days in March 2020, the press release said.
It added that the charity went on to raise more than £160 million, or around $205 million, to support hospital patients, staff and volunteers at the frontline of the pandemic.
During his visit on Wednesday, William toured one of the U.K.’s first Long Covid clinics, which was partly funded by NHS Charities Together.
He also visited the hospital’s Health and Wellbeing Center and Garden, which has a free gym and green space for staff to relax during their downtime.
“A poignant visit to Royal Berkshire Hospital to see firsthand the lasting impact of NHS Charities Together’s support over the past five years, since the start of the COVID pandemic,” read a statement shared via William and Kate’s joint Instagram account, alongside photos from the visit.
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William and Kate, 43, have been joint patrons of NHS Charities Together since December 2020. The couple visited the Royal Berkshire Hospital during a U.K. royal tour that same month.
“Welcome back,” Graham Sims, chairman of Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, said to Kate during the visit, according to Hello! Magazine.
