Countess of Wessex is joined by Prince Edward and children as they pick up litter on seaside

The Countess of Wessex was joined by her husband Prince Edward and their two children as they took to a Hampshire beach to pick up litter today. 

Sophie, 55, and the Earl of Wessex, 56, appeared in high spirits as they arrived at the Great British Beach Clean on Southsea Beach in Portsmouth with Lady Louise Windsor, 16, and James Viscount Severn, 12.

The Countess looked casual in a pair of blue denim skinny jeans with a pink and white pair of deck shoes, while her hair was swept back in an elegant bun. 

Sophie, 55, and the Earl of Wessex, 56, were joined by their two children Lady Louise Windsor, 16, and James Viscount Severn, 12

The family appeared on good spirits as they as cleared away litter on Southsea Beach in Portsmouth 

She wore minimal jewellery for the occasion, and donned a pair of black sunglasses, later adding an oversized brown coat to her outfit.    

Her husband also opted for a laid back style, wearing a blue shirt and navy body warmer, paired with a pair of dark blue chino trousers and brown leather shoes. 

Meanwhile Lady Louise matched her mother, donning a pair of blue skinny jeans and green shirt, with a body warmer and black sunglasses.

The Great British Beach Clean, run by the Marine Conservation society, has been leading the way in tackling ocean pollution for 26 years, with volunteers removing 319 tonnes of litter from their local beaches over the years. 

Prince Edward was seen sharing a friendly moment with son James Viscount Severn as they walked along the beach 

The Countess of Wessex was spotted chatting with her son as they trawled through the beach to find litter 

Lady Louise Windsor was seen doing her best to clean up the shingle beach which stretches from Old Portsmouth to Eastney

The annual event is running from 18th – 25th September, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic cleans will involve smaller groups of friends and family

The organisation told volunteers are needed more than ever to the ‘worrying combination’ of cancelled beach clean events and a ‘huge spike in littering and masses of PPE’ washing up on shores. Sophie is pictured doing her bit and picking up some litter 

The annual event is running from 18th – 25th September, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation is calling on individuals to adopt a 100m stretch of beach and organise their own beach cleans. 

These cleans will involve smaller groups of friends, family and ‘bubbles’, in line with government guidance.  

The Marine Conservation Society published an article this week urging the public to take part, due to the ‘worrying combination’ of cancelled beach clean events and a ‘huge spike in littering and masses of PPE’ washing up on shores. 

Yesterday, Sophie was spotted riding a horse and carriage in the grounds of the Queen’s residence in Berkshire. 

The organisation is calling on individuals to adopt a 100m stretch of beach and organise their own beach cleans

The family looked content with their work as they posed smiling for a photo on the popular beach

The Marine Conservation Society published an article this week urging the public to take part. Lady Louise is seen picking up litter on the beach

Sophie is pictured picking up litter along side other volunteers of the Great British Beach Clean

Former PR executive Sophie lives at Bagshot Park in Surrey, with Edward and their two children and is widely recognised to be the Queen’s favourite royal.  

It is often Sophie who’s picked to travel with the Queen when she is attending church services at either Sandringham or Balmoral. 

It is believed that the mother is now seen by the Queen as the Royal Family’s safest pair of hands, because her marriage to Prince Edward has lasted, while Charles, Anne and Andrew have all been divorced. 

Volunteers have removed 319 tonnes of litter from their local beaches over the years, and Prince Edward and James were keen to muck in

Lady Louise was spotted smiling as she searched for litter on the beach today

James, Viscount Severn was spotted showing his mother Sophie Wessex a pice of litter found on the beach 

Prince Edward was seen holding open a bag as his son James dropped litter found on the beach into it 

The Queen and Sophie’s close bond is said to be down to their similar interests, with the pair often spending Saturday or Sunday evenings together at Windsor, watching old war films and historical documentaries.

Sophie, who was brought up in Kent by a tyre company executive father and a secretary mother, is even thought to have convinced the Queen to watch The Crown – suggesting she might enjoy the Netflix series which is based on her reign.  

The Wessex family are often spotted taking part in outdoor activities at Windsor Castle, which is just 10 miles from their home at Bagshot Park.  

Sophie can be seen inspecting an object found on the beach as Lady Louise continues to pick up litter 

The Wessex family are spotted taking part in outdoor activities, regularly being spotted at Windsor Castle

The Countess of Wessex was seen taking a closer look at litter found on the beach by her son James

The family smiled at each other and chatted as they posed for a picture at the beach clean today 

The Great British Beach Clean, run by the Marine Conservation society, has been leading the way in tackling ocean pollution for 26 years. Pictured, Edward, Louise and James speaking with an organiser 

Lady Louise matched her mother, donning a pair of blue skinny jeans and green shirt paired with a body warmer and black sunglasses

Edward and Sophie looked in great spirits ahead of their beach clean in Portsmouth this morning 

Prince Edward, the Queen’s youngest son, and his family also visited his parents in Balmoral this summer.

The Queen and Prince Philip spent six weeks at their Aberdeenshire home but have now moved to Norfolk together to ‘spend time privately’ at the their Sandringham estate, where the Duke spends much of his retirement at Wood Farm.

Amid the Covid-19 crisis, the Queen will return to Windsor in October, from where she will travel to Buckingham Palace for working visits. 

The family were pictures listening closely to a volunteer as he explained the organisation’s procedures 

The royal looked casual as she sported a pair of blue denim skinny jeans and swept her hair into an elegant bun

Meanwhile Prince Edward opted for a smart blue shirt with a cosy black gilet for the morning activity 

The family were spotted looking excited for the day as they arrived at The Great British Beach Clean this morning