Yahoo News Prince Edward, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Kids Have Rare Family Outing to Help with Beach Clean
Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage Prince Edward, James Viscount Severn, Lady Louise and Sophie, Countess of Wessex
The royals are combining family time with volunteer work.
Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex joined volunteers for the Great British Beach Clean on Southsea Beach in Portsmouth on Sunday morning. They teamed up with their two children — 16-year-old Lady Louise Windsor and 12-year-old James, Viscount Severn — to make it a family outing.
Dressed down in casual jeans and sunglasses, they spent time picking up trash and recording the items they found for a beach survey along the stretch of coast. Sophie — who is known for rolling up her sleeves and digging into projects — carried a trash bag while her children used sticks to collect litter. Prince Edward was tasked with recording their findings, carrying a clipboard as they walked in the sand.
And of course, no trip to the beach is complete without posing for a family portrait!
Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage Prince Edward, Sophie Countess of Wessex, James Viscount Severn and Lady Louise
Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage Sophie Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise, James Viscount Severn and Prince Edward
Lady Louise and James may be the grandchildren of Queen Elizabeth, but they live a relatively quiet, normal life — and Sophie says they will make their own way in the world.
"We try to bring them up with the understanding that they are very likely to have to work for a living,” Sophie, 55, told The Sunday Times earlier this year. "Hence we made the decision not to use HRH titles. They have them and can decide to use them from 18, but it’s highly unlikely."
RELATED: Lady Louise Is the Spitting Image of Her Dad, Prince Edward
Sophie, who married Edward, the Queen's youngest son, in 1999, said she hopes Louise, who was born prematurely and had to have corrective surgery for a "severe squint," will go on to college.
A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Sep 20, 2020 at 5:26am PDT
Still, Lady Louise and James occasionally help out their parents — like when Louise filmed a video for her mom during the coronavirus quarantine! — and join them on outings. In January, Louise stepped out with her mom to meet members of England's field hockey team.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Lady Louise
Samir Hussein/WireImage Prince Edward, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn
Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
A month before, the family of four joined the Queen and other members of the royal family for their annual Christmas morning church outing.
