Lewisham hospice welcomes its royal patron Princess Alexandra for pre-Christmas tea
Patients in a hospice received Christmas good wishes from royalty as Royal Highness Princess Alexandra popped in for tea and a chat.
The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, as she is also known, is patron of St Christopher’s Hospice in Lawrie Park Road, Sydenham, and was only too happy to pay another visit to the home, which was established in 1967.
She turns 86 on Christmas Day, so the day perhaps holds extra meaning for her.
The Princess was welcomed to St Christopher’s by new chief executive Helen Simmons and chairman Neil Goulden, who were joined by clinical team lead Katie Grace on a tour of the hospice’s wards.
There, Her Royal Highness met a number of patients and their families and friends and wished them all a Merry Christmas.
Following her tour of the wards, the Princess enjoyed a snowy stroll in the grounds where she observed one of the ‘Tree of Trees’, which was gifted to St Christopher’s as part of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier in the summer.
As a centrepiece of the Jubilee festivities, the Tree of Trees stood outside Buckingham Palace as a message of hope, regeneration and optimism.
St Christopher’s received one of the trees in recognition of the vital contribution that the hospice makes to its local community.
To round off the afternoon, the Princess was invited in to St Christopher’s Centre for Awareness and Response to End of life (CARE), where afternoon tea was served.
The Princess joined guests at every table to share greetings and stories of everyone’s connection to St Christopher’s, whilst pianist Mark Dowling played a selection of Christmas carols and hymns.
Finally, Her Royal Highness signed the St Christopher’s visitors’ book and was presented with flowers by volunteer Sue Gilder.
Speaking yesterday afternoon, Helen Simmons, chief executive at St Christopher’s, said: “We are so pleased to have been able to welcome Her Royal Highness today, and very much hope the Princess enjoyed her time at the hospice.
“Everyone here always looks forward to her visits so much, and we wish her and the rest of the Royal Family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
Pictured top: The royal visitor meets patients at St Chrisopher’s (Picture: Rachel Mann)
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