The Duchess of Edinburgh cooed over babies, packed Christmas gift bags and spoke about the shared benefits of volunteering as she opened a new community hub for one of her beloved patronages.
In her role as patron of The Lighthouse, Sophie officially opened its new Guildford hub, which provides a number of projects and services, from bereavement support to a mother and baby group.
The Duchess, who is mum to Lady Louise Windsor, 22, and James, Earl of Wessex, 17, displayed her maternal side as she met Lucy and her six-month-old daughter Dottie, and Aya and her eight-month-old daughter, Wateen, who are regulars at the centre's playgroup.
Sophie asked if she could hold little Dottie and waggled her fingers at the tot as she sat happily on the royal's lap.
"Dottie was five weeks old when we first came along and we've been every week since," mum Lucy tells HELLO!. "She's got lots of little buddies here and it's just so nice to get out and talk with other mums, and you don't necessarily have to worry about the babies too much, as it's a safe space."
After seeing the group advertised on a local Facebook page, Lucy has spread the word to other mothers in the area.
© Max Mumby"Of all the other groups I've gone to, these are the friendliest people, the nicest people. I can't recommend enough," she says.
And commenting on her daughter's interaction with royalty, Lucy says: "She loves to cuddle with everyone. And after the group photograph at the end, we were stood by the Duchess and she turned around and had another chat with Dottie, and said how good she's been."
While the Duchess has been the charity's patron since 2022, her involvement with The Lighthouse goes back over the past five years. In 2023, Sophie rolled up her sleeves and donned an apron as she served up a festive dinner at a Christmas party to support over 200 local Ukrainian refugees at its Woking branch.
© Max MumbyAt the Guildford hub on Monday, the Duchess was keen to speak to members of different groups and offered to pack festive gift bags for local families as part of the charity's Christmas Kindness appeal.
As Sophie stepped into the donation hub, she cheerily remarked to volunteers: "Is this the production line of Santa's little helpers?"
The Duchess helped to pack items into the paper bags, including chocolate, mittens and beauty products, which have been donated by locals and corporations.
Picking up a pair of gloves, Sophie said: "I could have done with these today," following her visit to 9 Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers at Normandy Barracks in Hampshire earlier in the day.
Speaking to some of the volunteers, who are also involved in the community coaching programmes, the Duchess told them: "It makes such a difference. Everybody needs a bit of help in different stages of their lives."
After packing gift bags, Sophie then spoke with organisers and clients who use the Men Matter service, a space for men to come along, get stuck into a simple activity, and enjoy a hot meal together as they talk.
The royal then showed off her artistic side as she joined a creative corner workshop, cutting into thick brown paper to make a giant snowflake Christmas decoration.
© Max Mumby"It's harder than it looks!" she laughed as she painstakingly cut out each layer.
Before commemorating her visit with a plaque unveiling, Sophie took the time to learn about the support given by the centre's seven-week bereavement course, which is run by Mike Stanbrook and his wife, Carole, regularly throughout the year.
"She was very involved, very empathetic, down-to-earth, practical and full of rich life experience," Mike tells HELLO! after speaking with the Duchess.
© Max MumbyBefore posing for a group photograph with guests, Sophie praised the work of The Lighthouse's volunteers, saying: "The thing about volunteering is that it's a wonderful thing to do, but I think most volunteers would agree that you get as much out of it as you give. In the giving that the guests receive, you get so much back."
The Duchess is renowned for being hands-on approach to her royal duties, having helped out at a number of charities and projects during the pandemic. As well as volunteering to make food for NHS workers at a London kitchen, Sophie joined the Hope Hub in Surrey Heath, which works to prevent and end homelessness in the area. She also organised PPE shipments for St John Ambulance at their Operational Support Hub in Gosport.
"What we want is for people to thrive and to do as well as they possibly can given their circumstances," she concluded during her outing. "And you're giving them that chance and more than your time and that is something that you can't put a price on, and it's done with loving hands, so thank you all so much for what you're doing, and it's a huge pleasure to be here today."
To learn more about and support The Lighthouse's work, visit the-lighthouse.info
