he queen and Prince Philip have extended a heartfelt message to those affected by the deadly Hurricane Dorian, which killed at least five people when it landed in the Bahamas this past weekend. The royal couple was “shocked and saddened” by the outcome of the tropical storm, which was recorded as “the second strongest hurricane on record in the Atlantic basin,” per CBS News.
“Prince Philip and I have been shocked and saddened to learn of the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian, and we send our sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives following this terrible storm,” the sovereign wrote in an official statement, which the royal family shared on social media this afternoon.
“At this very difficult time, my thoughts and prayers are with those who have seen their homes and property destroyed, and I also send my gratitude to the emergency services and volunteers who are supporting the rescue and recovery effort,” she continued. The monarch signed the note with her signature, “Elizabeth R,” which stands for regina (“queen” in Latin).
Though the note was met with praise, some commenters on Instagram urged the queen to send aid instead of simply “thoughts and prayers,” especially because the Bahamas are a member country in the Commonwealth, of which the queen is the symbolic head.
It’s unclear if royals are able to send monetary aid, but last year, Buckingham Palace did say that the queen donated an undisclosed amount to the Disasters Emergency Committee, which helped survivors of the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia, per Sky News.