Prince Charles offers message of support to Australia at fundraising dinner
Public attention may have been focused on the Coronavirus of late, but the devastating Australian bushfires have continued to have an impact
Prince CharlesGetty Images
The Queen's eldest son, Prince Charles, has long had a passion for the environment. It is unsurprising, therefore, that the devastating impact of the Australian bushfires has struck a chord with the royal.
He reiterated his compassion for those affected by the fires at the City of London Corporation and the Australian High Commission fundraising dinner, which took place at Mansion House on Thursday night. Hello! magazine reports that Charles gave a speech in which he expressed his depth of feeling for the cause, stating, 'It is, if I may say so, particularly heart-warming to see so many of you gathered here this evening,' which indicated 'how determined you are to help those who were so cruelly affected by the catastrophic bushfires in Australia recently.'
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He proceeded: 'I was most touched to have been invited to join you for this occasion and to have an opportunity to express, once again, just how much my family and I care about what I can only imagine must have seemed like an apocalyptic vision of Hell that the Australian people have been through over these past, desperately trying, few months. Amidst the horror and the sorrow, I have, above all, felt the greatest possible sense of admiration for the extraordinary determination and resilience of the Australian people.'
Charles praised the 'manner in which firefighters and other emergency services, as well as countless thousands of volunteers, in their own unique, antipodean way, have risked their lives to defend neighbour and stranger alike,' representing 'the very essence of the Australian character.' He stated that efforts were maintained even when 'we saw that enduring spirit of Aussie "mateship" tested by exhaustion, by the greatest pressure and by the gravest danger', before adding, 'It is not surprising that the firies' helmet now stands alongside the diggers' slouch hat as a powerful symbol of the courage, resilience and generosity for which Australians are renowned.' He concluded: 'At the very worst of times, we saw the very best of Australia – and knowing the Aussies, as I do after 54 years, that makes me very proud.'
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In January, the heir apparent released a video message expressing his compassion to those impacted by the fires. He emphasised that while he felt the gesture was 'a hopelessly inadequate way of trying to get a message to all of you', he wanted to make known 'that both my wife and myself are thinking of you so very much at such a difficult time and in such impossible and terrifying circumstances', expressing his 'despair over the last several weeks watching this appalling horror unfolding'. He appealed to Australians to stay strong amid the crisis, speaking of 'just how incredibly special and resilient the Australian people are' and his certainty that 'despite all this horror, you will find a way to face it all and win through.' Ending on an uplifting message of solidarity, the royal added: 'All I can say is that we are thinking of you, we are praying for you in the most determined way. I'm very proud to know you all.'
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