Letter of condolence to our Patron HRH The Princess Royal

Ahead of the state funeral of Her Majesty The Queen on 19 September a private letter of condolence has been sent to our patron HRH The Princess Royal expressing our support, best wishes and deepest sympathies from all the staff, volunteers and members of the Spinal Injuries Association.

Within the letter signed by our President Baroness Masham of Ilton, Chair of trustees Claire Martin and Chief Executive Nik Hartley OBE we thanked HRH Princess Anne for her nearly 40 years of faithful support.

We reflected on the fact that Her Royal Highness represents the very best qualities of Her Majesty with her own selfless devotion to duty and service to this country and how proud we feel to have her as our Patron as she continues the legacy of her mother, Her Majesty the Queen.

We thanked her for her service and never underestimate the impact of her support, guidance and understanding which for nearly 40 years has been of enormous benefit to all our members as they continue to struggle to live fulfilled lives in a society that too often fails to meet the needs of those with spinal cord injury.

The kindness and compassion Her Majesty represented is something we recognise in our Patron and have seen at all the many events and special moments that she has attended and shared in. We were honoured when she joined us most recently at the Martin’s Mountain Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason in October 2021.

We were also thankful when she attended The Charities Forum last November, where we were able to connect with a wide range of other charities and to celebrate the valuable work we all provide and explore how we can collaborate more regularly.

Finally, we acknowledged that this is a period of great adjustment for the royal family and the whole country as we enter a new era under His Majesty the King and sent our thoughts and best wishes to the entire royal family at this time.