Prince and Princess of Wales decorate cakes at tea party for NHS' 75th anniversary
The royal couple decorated cakes and set up the tables for the tea party in honour of Britain's NHS.
The Prince and Princess of Wales got stuck in decorating cakes for a tea party to mark the 75th anniversary of the NHS.
The royal couple joined NHS staff members for the NHS Big Tea party at St Thomas’ Hospital in London on Tuesday (04.07.23).
As well as assisting with the baked goods, the future king and his wife met with the National Health Service's first-ever baby, Aneira ‘Nye’ Thomas, who was named after founder Aneurin Bevan.
Prince William - who served as a pilot in the East Anglian Air Ambulance from 2015 to 2017 - and Catherine, both 41, also dicussed the pressures the service is under today.
And on a less serious note, William came up with his idea for a solution to the long-running jam or cream first scone debate.
He quipped: "I go with whichever is closest to me to start off.”
But Catherine had a definite preference.
She said: “I always do jam and then cream.”
William also asked the party's co-host, former 'Great British Bake Off' presenter Mel Gierdoyc, her stance in the debate.
She said: “I go jam then cream because I think jam is heavier and then the cream sits."
The royal couple - who are joint royal patrons of NHS Charities Together - also sent a message of support to health service workers.
In a video message to NHS staff, they said: "Wishing everyone a very happy 75th birthday for the NHS. Thank you so much for all you do."
In 2021, the royals hosted the NHS' 73rd birthday at Buckingham Palace with a tea party.
The pair praised the efforts of all staff in the health service during another "immensely challenging year," acknowledging how they had been pushed to their limits and were still willing to "put [themselves at risk] amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter distributed via the network of NHS charities associated with every health service trust and health board in the UK, they wrote: "The dedication and commitment of all NHS staff has been awe-inspiring. From frontline nurses, doctors, and porters to those behind the scenes; you have carried on despite the hardship, despite exhaustion and long hours, and despite the emotional toll this pandemic has exacted.
"You have cared for incredibly sick patients and their families, in circumstances made all the more challenging by this virus, and your unending compassion has meant so much in the darkest moments.
“And you have done it all by putting yourselves at risk and sacrificing time with your own friends and loved ones."
