Princess Sofia of Sweden Scrubs in at Hospital to Clean and Cook During Coronavirus Outbreak
Princess Sofia of Sweden has traded her tiaras for scrubs.
The 35-year-old royal mom is joining the frontline effort in helping ease the strain on the health care system amid the coronavirus pandemic. After completing a intensive training program online, Sofia started working at Sophiahemmet Hospital, of which she is Honorary Chair.
For her first day on the job, where she will be assisting hospital staff with non-medical related tasks, the wife of Prince Carl Philip posed for a photo alongside other workers wearing scrubs and white sneakers. She wore an ID tag and her hair tied back in a practical ponytail.
The hospital has been overwhelmed due to COVID-19, leading to the launch the emergency training program. Now, 80 people a week complete the course that Princess Sofia took.
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JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty, IBL/Shutterstock
The Royal Court said in a statement on Wednesday, “In the crisis we find ourselves in, the Princess wants to get involved and make a contribution as a voluntary worker to relieve the large workload of health care professionals.”
A spokeswoman for Sophiahemmet Hospital, which has no confirmed cases of coronavirus yet, explained that Sofia and her fellow volunteers will not be working directly with patients but rather supporting doctors and nurses.
“They can disinfect equipment, do shifts in the kitchen and cleaning,” Pia Hultkrantz said.
IBL/Shutterstock Princess Sofia of Sweden with fellow hospital workers
Princess Sofia shared a post on the Instagram page she shares with husband Prince Carl Philip after the news broke, with the image showing her folded scrubs and name tag — reading simply “Sofia” — on a bench in a locker room.
“To have the opportunity to help in this difficult time is extremely rewarding,” the royal said.
A post shared by Prinsparet (@prinsparet) on Apr 16, 2020 at 10:56am PDT
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JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Princess Sofia in Dec. 2019
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Like many people around the world, the Swedish royal family has transitioned to working from home during the coronavirus pandemic to prevent spread of the illness. In fact, the entire clan caught up for Easter over the weekend using video chat.
Included in the call were King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, Crown Princess Victoria, Crown Prince Daniel and their two children: son Prince Oscar, 4, and daughter Princess Estelle, 8.
Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia were also joined by their two young sons, Prince Alexander and Prince Gabriel, who were stripped of their HRH titles by their grandfather last year.
And joining the call from across the ocean were Princess Madeleine, husband Chris O’Neill and their three children — Princess Leonore, 6, Prince Nicolas, 4, Princess Adrienne, 2 — who also no longer hold royal HRH titles. The family relocated to Florida in 2018.
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments. To help provide doctors and nurses on the front lines with life-saving medical resources, donate to Direct Relief here.
