Queen Elizabeth's daughter-in-law Sophie Wessex spent some time helping out and serving as a shop girl at a charity store that re-opened on Wednesday.
The Countess of Wessex dropped in at the Shooting Star Children's Hospices charity shop, where she was seen arranging clothes on the racks and setting the product displays. Sophie had a floral face mask on as she worked throughout the store before its doors opened.
Sophie, who is married to Prince Edward, is the patron of the hospice center that takes care of babies and children with life-limiting conditions. Its charity shops were also affected by the COVID-19 lockdowns in the United Kingdom.
The night before her visit to the charity shop, Sophie and Prince Edward joined the working members of the royal family in Windsor Castle, where they reunited with Queen Elizabeth. The royal family stood outside to watch and listen to the Salvation Army's Christmas carol renditions and they also spoke with the NHS healthcare workers from Berkshire who were invited to the royal engagement.
Meanwhile, during the week before Christmas Day, the Wessex family will celebrate a new milestone for James, Viscount Severn. The Queen's youngest grandchild will become a teenager on Dec. 17, according to Hello.
James' parents will likely celebrate his 13th birthday with a low-key event at their home in Bagshot Park, just a few miles off Windsor Castle, where the Queen and Prince Philip have been isolating. However, the royal family will not likely join the event due to the restrictions on gatherings.
Prince Edward and Sophie very rarely share tidbits about her children in public because the royal spotlight can be harsh. James and his older sister, Lady Louise, 17, are reportedly the favorites of Queen Elizabeth.
In a rare interview with Good Housekeeping, Sophie said that Louise and James aren't into social media but she understands that kids their age are the actual digital natives. The Countess of Wessex said that it's her job as a mother to equip her growing kids with tools that they will understand and will navigate successfully.
Sophie also said in an interview with The Times that she hopes her children will chart a different path than become working royals. She and Prince Edward have chosen to raise their children without any HRH titles.
Louise will soon decide her path when she turns 18 years old. The Countess of Wessex said that she expects Louise and James to earn their own keep and work outside of the royal family.
