Prince Harry hails ‘wonderfully British response’ to Covid-19 and gives shout-out to ‘amazing’ Captain Tom Moore

The Duke of Sussex has said he's “incredibly proud” of the British public as the country rallies together to tackle the coronavirus crisis.

Harry said the amount of volunteers rushing to help in the national effort was “wonderfully British," as he thanked NHS workers on the frontline of the Covid-19 battle.

In an interview with the Declassifed podcast, the duke, who is now living in the US, also praised war veteran Captain Tom Moore, 99, for his “utterly amazing” fundraising efforts.

“I want to say a huge thank you, as we all do, to all of the NHS workers and everybody that’s volunteering,” he said.

“Because up and down the UK, whether it’s from Dorset up to Staffordshire, there are literally hundreds of thousands of people volunteering.”

The UK says thanks to the NHS in nationwide clap - In pictures

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Referring to an article by the Guardian about the high number of people who have come forward to volunteer, Harry added: “It’s such a wonderfully British thing that we all come to help when we need it.”

Harry told the podcast: “Congratulations to Tom, I think what he’s done is utterly amazing.

“It’s not just what he’s done, it’s the reaction that people have had as well, I think is again just wonderfully British.

“I’m just so incredibly proud to see what these individuals up and down the country and across the world are doing on a day-to-day basis.”

He added: “It’s also proving that I think things are better than we’re led to believe through certain corners of the media.

“It can be very worrying when you’re sitting there and the only information you are getting is from certain news channels, but then if you are out and about or you are on the right platforms, you can really sense this human spirit coming to the forefront.”

The Queen’s grandson also paid tribute to the younger generation for their efforts, calling the youth engagement “exceptional, specifically in the UK” during the pandemic.

The duke, who is in Los Angeles with wife Meghan and baby son Archie, said he hopes volunteering efforts will continue once the crisis ends.

He added: “It just makes me incredibly proud to see the Brits stepping up like this, but I really, really hope that this keeps going after coronavirus and after this whole pandemic has come to a close.”

Prince Harry: The Duke of Sussex - In pictures

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Hosted by Michael Coates, the podcast is a series of conversation with members from the military community.

The duke, who served with the Blues and Royals and the Army Air Corps, called the volunteering efforts of veterans a “selfless act”.

He said: “It’s about selflessness rather than selfishness and I think in today’s culture, in today’s world, we need more role models that are willing to put others ahead of themselves.

“I think again about being part of a unit, being part of a team, certainly for me wearing a uniform that was the same as everybody else.

“It kind of makes you feel totally equal but at the same time makes you want to do everything you can for the person on your left and the person on your right.”

Harry joined a humanitarian operation by Team Rubicon UK in Nepal, in the wake of the country’s earthquake in 2015.

The charity, which mobilises former serving personnel, has launched Op RE:ACT in response to the crisis and is calling on veterans to utilise their skillset and assist in volunteering.

Chief executive of Team Rubicon UK Richard Sharp told the podcast the charity was “re-purposing veteran skill” to support mortuaries and hospitals during the pandemic.

Some 3,000 veterans have now signed up to support Op RE:ACT, Mr Sharp said.

“Our main effort has been to support the incredible NHS,” he told the podcast.

“We’ve been watching the most unbelievable committed service to this country by doctors, nurses, respiratory physios, and it was clear that we had to do everything we could to support that.”