Duchess salutes ‘wonderful’ volunteers

tHE Duchess of Cornwall has hailed Britain’s ‘wonderful’ army of volunteers as they march into action from today.

Camilla, 72, praised the 750,000 members of the public who have already reported for duty to help the NHS through the crisis, saying: ‘I salute each one of you – and thank you with all my heart.’

She added that Health Service staff would be encouraged and supported by ‘the presence of so many wonderful volunteers’. the duchess was speaking as she returned to work after two weeks of self-isolation following her husband Prince Charles’s positive test for Covid-19.

the duchess is patron of the Royal Voluntary Service, which is managing the nation’s call to arms. She also surprised a pensioner in self- isolation, phoning Doris Winfield, 85, of Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire,

to ask how she was coping without her family and friends. the 85-year- old said she regularly speaks to her three daughters but lives alone and misses her friends and social life.

Mrs Winfield said: ‘Having a chat with the duchess meant the world to me. It’s really cheered me up.’

In the 20-minute call made from her Scottish retreat at Birkhall, Camilla admitted the most difficult thing was not being able to hug her five grandchildren. the duchess has spent the last two weeks on her own after Charles, 71, was diagnosed with the virus. She tested negative but followed official advice about isolating.

Yesterday she was reunited with him at Birkhall where they will remain until the crisis is over. the army of NHS Volunteer Responders will help with tasks such as collecting medicines from chemists, driving patients to appointments and calling to check on those isolating at home.