Princess Eugenie read a children’s tale at the launch of the Elephant Family charity’s Little Egg Hunt this week.
The royal – who is the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York – stepped out in Chelsea, London, on Thursday (21.03.24) to read the classic story of ‘Elmer the Patchwork Elephant’ by David McKee to mark the opening of the Easter hunt for the non-profit launched by Queen Camilla’s late brother, Mark Shand, which is on a mission to save the forgotten species from extinction.
Eugenie, who is a patron of the charity, told ITN: “It was so important to be here because I’ve worked with Elephant Family for so many years now and they’re a charity so close to my heart, so close to my family’s heart and Mark Shand, who started the charity, was a dear friend.
“What they’re doing in saving elephants and making sure people are aware of what’s going on around elephants and in wildlife is so important for the world to know. The legacy that they’ve created and the excitement around egg hunts or elephant [sculpture] hunts, a few years ago, it brings elephants to London.
“I think bridging that gap between what happens in the wild, although we might not see it every day, actually you can come to a city and learn about just what goes on and how elephants really need to be looked after and protected because there is this human-wildlife conflict happening, and it’s so important that elephants live in peace and humans live in peace.”
Eugenie – who has young children August and Ernest with husband Jack Brooksbank – is known for her charitable work, and in 2017, she helped to raise £400,000 to help raise awareness about elephant and rhinoceros poaching across Africa.