Picture perfect! Princess Eugenie visits Hammersmith and Fulham hospital’s ‘inspiring’ mental health unit where staff work with an art charity to provide ‘much-needed light in a dark moment’
- Princess Eugenie, 31, visited Askew Ward at Hammersmith and Fulham Hospital
- Psychiatric care unit recruits artists to paint on the walls to lift up patients’ spirits
- The mother-of-one admired the artwork on Monday and branded visit ‘inspiring’
Princess Eugenie cut a casual figure as she toured a psychiatric ward which uses art to help lift the spirits of its patients in West London on Monday.
The mother-of-one, 31, visited the Askew Ward at Hammersmith and Fulham Hospital, where she learned how staff were working with the charity Hospital Rooms to ‘provide some much-needed light in a dark moment.’
Hospital Rooms recruit painters to visit and introduce contemporary art to mental health units in a bid to leave something positive behind.
The royal – who wore a striped long-sleeved top underneath a navy dress – opened up about the ‘inspiring’ experience on Instagram, where she also shared snaps of the stunning artwork.
Princess Eugenie, 31, visited the Askew Ward at Hammersmith and Fulham Hospital, where she learned how staff were working with the charity Hospital Rooms to uplift their patients, pictured, a fresco by artist Paul Morrison
Alongside a series of photographs, the royal penned: ‘This morning I visited the Askew Ward at Hammersmith and Fulham Hospital’s Mental Health Unit to see the work of the Hospital Rooms charity in practice.’
‘Hospital Rooms work closely with ward staff and hospital employees to bring art into spaces like the Askew Ward, to provide some much-needed light in a dark moment,’ she explained.
She continued: ‘The charity works with artists who visit hospital wards to paint artworks on the walls, meet the service users and ultimately leave behind something positive for those struggling with mental health issues.’
‘It was inspiring to meet everyone involved today.’
Wearing a navy blue dress over a striped top, Princess Eugenie met with hospital staff and artist Tim A. Shaw ands curate Niamh White, who kickstarted the project in 2016
The mother-of-one shared pictures of her visit and gave information about Hospital Rooms on Instagram
In the snaps, Princess Eugenie can be seen admiring some of the paintings created by the visiting artists – including one by Susie Hamilton, which featured a relaxing scene of three people walking in nature with a dog at sunset.
Another piece of artwork, this time by Mark Titchner, read the words: ‘Moon,’ ‘Star’ and ‘The All,’ in bold blue, white and gold paint.
Elsewhere, Phoebe Boswell drew trees on top of a hill, while Paul Morrison adorned a different room with a fairytale landscape – both of which were painted in black.
Princess Eugenie was accompanied by Tim A. Shaw, the artist who kickstarted Hospital Rooms in 2016.
Another painting showed people on a walk with a dog at sunset, which was painted in one of the mental facility’s outdoor areas by Susie Hamilton
The charity was created in 2016 by Tim A. Shaw and curator Niamh White after they visited a friend in a mental health hospital.
They were shocked to see that the hospital where she was staying looked cold and clinical, and wanted to bring some cheer into her life at such a vulnerable time.
With ten years of experience in the art world each, they set out to use their network and skills to transform the hospital rooms with quality artwork.
They completed their first project in 2016 at the Phoenix Unit, a rehabilitation unit for people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia in South West London.
59 world class artists have since then visited several hospitals and let their own works of art on their walls and in their rooms.
Another artist Phoebe Boswell drew trees as well as yellow suns over a hill which was painted in black
One of the mural paintings in the hospital read the words ‘Moon,’ ‘Stars; ‘The All’ by the artist Mark Titchner