Princess Eugenie made a special nod to Queen Camilla during her latest public appearance.
The youngest daughter of Sarah Ferguson read to school children in Sloane Square Thursday at Elephant Family’s Little Egg Hunt.
The wildlife conservation charity was established in 2003 by Queen Camilla’s late brother Mark Shand.
Shand, who died aged 62, was a keen travel writer and spent much of his time advocating for the long-term welfare of the Asian elephant.
Princess Eugenie paid tribute to Camilla's late brother
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The princess called Mark “a dear friend” as she took part in the event as the charity is something close to her family’s heart.
Speaking with ITV News, Eugenie said: “It was so important to be here because I have worked with the Elephant Family for so many years now and they are a charity so close to my heart, close to my family's heart.
“Mark Shand who started the charity was a dear friend and what they are in doing in saving elephants and making people aware about what's going on is so important for the world to know.
“The Legacy that they have created and the excitement around egg hunts or bamboo elephants in Hyde Park, it brings elephants to London which I have never seen before, so bridging that gap with what happens in the wild, which you might not see every day, can actually come to a city so we can learn about what goes on.”
Princess Eugenie reads for schoolchildren in London on Thursday PAThe egg hunt is an interactive large-scale scavenger hunt of 12 giant decorated eggs in aid of the Elephant Family Charity.
The event in London raises funds for the charity while celebrating art, philanthropy and Easter merriment.
When Shand set up the charity for Asian Elephants he explained: "There are only 50,000 of them…compared with half a million African ones."
The Elephant Family Charity was set up to “tackle the challenges facing Asia’s wildlife and the indigenous communities that live alongside them.”
Mark Shand attends The Elephant Parade auction in aid of The Elephant Family in 2010
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Shard wrote Travels on My Elephant about his 750-mile ride from Konarak on the Bay of Bengal to the Sonepur Mela on an elephant named Tara.
He bought the Elephant after seeing her held captive while he was travelling through India in 1988.
Shand followed this book with the Queen of the Elephants (1995) about his 300-mile trek across East Bengal and Assam on the back of an elephant.
The book was awarded the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award and the Prix Litteraire d’Amis and was used for a BBC documentary.
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The wildlife conservation charity was established in 2003 by Camilla’s late brother Mark ShandPARichard Hawkes, the CEO of Elephant Family, paid tribute to Camilla’s late brother saying how he “inspires” everyone at the charity.
Hawkes said in a statement on the charity’s website: “With 10 years since his passing and his successes of the Big Egg Hunt NYC, Mark Shand’s spirit of adventure and dedication to conservation continue to inspire us all.
“Through the Little Egg Hunt and beyond, we honour his legacy by fostering creativity, spreading joy, and safeguarding the majestic creatures he held dear.”
The charity has raised over £20 million to date in support of Asia’s wildlife and their habitats.
