The Duchess of Edinburgh is set to appear on an iconic children’s BBC show.
The 59-year-old will appear on CBeebies Bedtime Story to mark World Sight Day on Thursday, October 10.
The Duchess will read the story, Specs for Rex by Irish-born, Bristol-based author Yasmeen Ismail.
The story follows Rex, the story of a lion who does not want to wear his new glasses to school and tries to hide them. However, Rex’s specs end up winning him a gold star, a new friend and most importantly, help him to see better.
The Duchess will read a bedtime story on the programme
BBC/Guy Levy
In a trailer for the episode, Her Royal Highness said: “Millions of us need glasses to see the world clearly. World Sight Day is a reminder to all of us to take care of our eyes, whether we need glasses or not.
“Our eyes are precious, and our sight is something to cherish and look after. So, let’s remember to take care of our eyes this World Sight Day.”
The Duchess is a global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and has long campaigned for the charity.
In September, the Duchess visited Tanzania in September to meet with officials and patients working to eliminate blinding trachoma in Tanzania.
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Duchess of Edinburgh in Tanzania earlier this year
IAPB Spokesperson Simon Darvill said “We’re thrilled to have CBeebies and HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh shine a spotlight on children’s eye health for World Sight Day.
“I know myself how lovely it is to sit down as a family to watch the CBeebies bedtime story, and we hope that this special story will engage millions of families, shine a spotlight on the importance of eye care for children and encourage people to book that all important sight test.”
Her Royal Highness joins past readers, including James McAvoy, Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and Tom Hardy sharing stories on the popular CBeebies Bedtime Story.
in 2022, Princess Kate, then the Duchess of Cambridge, read The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson.
The story, illustrated by Paul Howard, is about a baby barn owl named Plop who, with the help of others, learns to overcome his fear of the dark.
Once the reading was over, Kate reflected on its meaning, saying: “Wow, what an encouraging tale.
“We can all feel scared sometimes just like our owl friend Plop, but as Mrs Barn Owl said, ‘It’s better to find out about the things that scare us before we make up our mind'”