Not to give Queen Camilla too much credit, but she’s generally a much more active charity patron than Prince William and Kate. Especially Kate, who has literally gone eight-plus years without visiting her patronages or doing anything to highlight their work. Several of Kate’s patronages have collapsed or moved to partner with other charities or groups over the years (and Kate still hasn’t done diddly squat). Meanwhile, Camilla regularly hosts events for her patronages and makes personal visits. Back in January, Camilla visited The Prospect Hospice, one of her charitable patronages since 2013. Well, a visit from Camilla seven months ago hasn’t helped, and the hospice is under so much financial strain, they’re shutting down one of their charity shops.
One of Queen Camilla’s patron charities has been forced to make a difficult decision following persistent ‘financial pressures’. The Prospect Hospice, which provides dedicated end-of-life care to those across the North of Wiltshire, has been supported by the Queen ever since she became the charity’s president in 2013. The charity announced this week that it’s been forced to close one of their shops.
In a statement shared with HELLO!, the charity said: “The decision to close has not been an easy one, but continued financial pressures across the charity sector, including rising costs and changing shopping habits, mean Prospect Hospice has to focus our resources where they can have the greatest impact on funding patient care.”
The shop, which is located on Marlborough High Street, is set to close its doors on Saturday, September 6.
Stuart Necrews, Head of Commercial Income at Prospect Hospice, said: “We are so thankful to the staff, volunteers, donors and customers who have supported this shop over the years. Closing the doors is not a decision we wanted to make, but it is a necessary one to ensure we can continue providing outstanding care to local people at the end of their lives.”
The Prospect Hospice provides dedicated end-of-life care to those across the North of Wiltshire and has been supported by the Queen ever since she became their patron in 2013. Queen Camilla most recently visited the Prospect Hospice in Wroughton, Swindon, in January of this year.
Yeah, it looks particularly bad because A) Camilla was just lounging around a borrowed superyacht in the Greek isles just a few weeks back and B) Camilla is currently on vacation in Scotland. Surely, Camilla’s courtiers understand that this looks bad, right? She’s the bloody queen and this has been her patronage for more than a decade. Charles and Camilla always brag about their “soft power” and “convening power” – well, use that power to help a hospice!! Host a damn fundraiser at the palace, or use your connections to bring in a major donor!
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
