King Charles supports Turkey and Syria earthquake relief efforts in London

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King Charles III shares his concern for those affected by earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

On Valentine’s Day, the monarch, 74, descended on London to meet volunteers organizing donations for those affected by last week’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria. More than 35,000 people have died, according to NBC News, in what Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the “catastrophe of the century.”

King Charles was saddened when he spoke with members of the West London Turkish Volunteers at Hounslow. The group has been busy collecting and packing food, blankets and warm clothes to take to the area.

The king made an official statement following the February 6 disaster, sending “private thoughts and prayers” on behalf of himself and his wife, Queen Camilla. The royal couple donated to the UK’s Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal, which has raised more than $72 million to date. In a Feb. 9 tweet, the DEC thanked Charles and Camilla, 75, for their “generous donation” to the emergency appeal.

Kirsty O’Connor/AP/Shutterstock

Prince William and Kate Middleton also shared their support in a tweet on February 9.

“We are appalled to see the horrific images coming out of Turkey and Syria in the aftermath of the earthquakes this week. Our thoughts are with the affected communities and happy to support the @decappeal campaign which will help the response on the ground,” they wrote, signing the letter with “W&C” for William and Katherine to indicate the personal nature of the tweet.

After learning more about the Turkish Volunteers in west London, King Charles moved to Trafalgar Square in central London. There, he launched Beit Surya, a temporary tent set up to create a space where members of the Syrian community could gather to support those affected by the earthquake.

STEPHAN ROSIO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

During the hike, Charles received a white helmet from the Syrian Civil Defense. In addition to the DEC’s Turkey and Syria earthquake appeal, the UK has provided another $4.6 million to the White Helmets, a group of volunteers operating in Syria and Turkey, to assist with the ongoing search and rescue mission in northwest Syria.

In two more moments of communication, the King stopped at a kebab shop and greeted members of the public who had come out to see him in Trafalgar Square.

L: Caption. Photo: Kirsty O’Connor/AP/Shutterstock R: Caption. PHOTO: STEPHAN ROSIO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

King Charles’s solo outing came a day after Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Camilla had tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time.

“After developing symptoms of a cold, Her Majesty The Queen tested positive for Covid-19,” the palace said in a statement on Monday. “It is with regret that she has canceled all her public engagements for this week and sends her sincere apologies to those who were scheduled to attend.”

Queen Camilla. Toby Melville – WPA Pool / Getty Images

The news was released almost a year to the day Clarence House first announced that Camilla had contracted COVID. In February 2022, she tested positive for the viral disease four days after her husband, then known as Prince Charles, entered self-isolation after being diagnosed positive for coronavirus.

In a short statement released on 14 February 2022, a Clarence House spokesperson said: “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall has tested positive for COVID-19 and is self-isolating. We continue to follow government guidance.”

The palace added at the time that Camilla had been vaccinated three times against the viral disease. In December 2021, Charles also confirmed that he had been vaccinated and boosted.

To help with earthquake relief efforts in Turkey and Syria, consider donating to these organizations: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Doctors Without Borders, GlobalGiving, Save the Children, and the Syrian American Medical Society.

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