Prince Edward unveils plaque at Stoke Mandeville Hospital

Prince Edward, and his wife, Sophie, attended the Aylesbury-based facility on Thursday, November 14, where they were given a tour of several wards and met numerous members of staff and patients.

Edward and Sophie visited the hospital's spinal unit which celebrated its 80th anniversary this year (Image: Royal Family)One of the areas the duo visited was St Francis’, otherwise known as the Children’s Ward.

The Royals spent a significant amount of time speaking to the injured children, a gesture that was greatly appreciated by some of the parents.

Karen, whose daughter, Millie, has been cared for by the hospital’s spinal unit for the past five years, said: “I wasn’t expecting it.

Edward took part in an upper limb exercise that spinal cord patients would need to undergo (Image: Royal Family) “They have children too, and they showed a real interest in what we are going through.

“When you have been told that your child has a spinal cord injury, you feel the pressures and you feel vulnerable in making sure you’re doing the right thing.

Sophie enjoyed tea and cake with those at the hospital (Image: Royal Family) “But when you come to a place like this, it’s like walking into a hug.

“We’ve been coming here for five years and the staff know us by name, they know our members of our family’s name, and they even know our pet’s name.

“This is a special place.”

Many games were played with the Royals (Image: Royal Family) After the Duke and Duchess visited the wards, they spent several minutes in Horatio’s Garden – a separate charity that is based at the hospital which is accessible to its patients.

During this period, the Royals enjoyed a slice of cake and a cup of tea as they spoke to numerous members of staff and delegates.

They were then presented with a plaque celebrating the unit’s longevity, before heading over to Stoke Mandeville Stadium later on in the afternoon.

The stadium is the official National Centre for Disability Sport, which opened in August 1969.

The Spinal Unit is one of the world's leading (Image: Royal Family) When unveiling the plaque The Duke of Edinburgh said: “It’s a great pleasure to visit in your special year marking 80 years of the brilliant work of the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

"It’s brilliant to meet so many of the staff who are so dedicated and passionate - thank you for all the work that you do in giving so many people the chance to be able to move on with their lives and have a positive future.

"My wife and I often have the added pleasure of meeting some of those you’ve supported who have gone on to do extraordinary things in the Paralympic Games, maintaining that tradition which started here all those years ago.”

Neil Macdonald, Chief Executive of the Trust said: “We were delighted to welcome Their Royal Highnesses to the NSIC [National Spinal Injuries Centre] today to continue the 80th anniversary celebrations.

“To be able to showcase our internationally recognised centre with our wonderful colleagues and patients made me immensely proud.

“I’d like to thank The Duke and Duchess for visiting and seeing what a truly remarkable place the NSIC [National Spinal Injuries Centre] is.”