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Kate and Prince William shared a poignant message in memory of the nurses who died in service while battling the coronavirus pandemic. The royals wrote on Twitter: “On Monday 11th May, the eve of International Nurses Day, we remember all those who have lost their lives to #COVID19 while in service. 

“Their outstanding work and dedication to those in their care will never be forgotten.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also shared a picture backing the Remember Health Heroes campaign.

More than 200 NHS and healthcare workers have died in the UK alone after contracting coronavirus.  

Please sign up to pledge your support now to our brave NHS Heroes

Among them is Maria Victoria Prado, a care home nurse in Kent, Mary Agyapong, who died five days after an emergency c-section to save her baby, and Augustine Agyei-Mensah, a nurse in Northantshire.

The tweet was published ahead of International Nurses Day, which celebrates the work of millions of nurses around the world.

To mark it, Kate joined forces with Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and held meetings over the phone with several nurses working in hospitals and associations scattered around the Commonwealth. 

The Court Circular, which details every engagement carried out by members of the Royal Family, shows Sophie and Kate called yesterday nurses based in seven different countries.

The entry reads: “The Duchess of Cambridge and The Countess of Wessex this afternoon held conference calls with nurses from around the Commonwealth in advance of International Nurses Day on 12th May.

“The Duchess of Cambridge and The Countess of Wessex, Global Ambassador, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, talked to nurses from LV Prasad Eye Institute and Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, India.” 

Kate and Sophie also talked with nurses based in Australia, Malawi, Cyprus, Sierra Leone, Bahamas and London.

2020 has been designated as the International Year Of The Nurse And Midwife.

Kate paid tribute to midwives late last year by penning a heartfelt letter praising the amazing work they do while bringing new lives into the world. 

In her open letter written ahead of the start of 2020, Kate said: “You are there for women at their most vulnerable; you witness strength, pain and unimaginable joy on a daily basis. 

“Your work often goes on behind the scenes, and away from the spotlight.”

She added: “Recently however, I was privileged enough to witness a small section of it first hand, spending several days at Kingston Hospital’s maternity unit.

“Although this was not my first encounter with the care and kindness provided by midwives across the country, it gave me a broader insight into the true impact you have on everybody you help.”

In 2019, Kate took part in a three-day work experience at Kingston Hospital Maternity Unit in London to deepen her understanding in the early years of children.    

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