Queen Camilla has hosted her traditional Christmas lunch for children with life-shortening conditions at Clarence House. The annual event, which she describes as marking the true start of Christmas, brought together young guests from Helen & Douglas House and Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity in a festive winter wonderland complete with Father Christmas, reindeer, and Queen Victoria's former sled.
The children decorated a Christmas tree, received presents from Santa, and enjoyed a lunch of bangers and mash served by the Queen herself. Six-year-old Samuel Soremekun, who has sickle cell disease and autism, provided one of the day's most endearing moments when he repeatedly exclaimed: «It's the Queen, It's the Queen» upon meeting Camilla.
Samuel's excitement continued throughout the event. He later pointed at a member of the Queen's entourage and asked: «Is that the King?» His mother, Toyosi Valogun, described his anticipation: «He was so excited to meet the Queen, he would not sleep. He's so curious of everything and is not scared of anything – he's so cheeky.»
Royal winter wonderland
The event featured reindeer named Blitzen and Dancer, which the children fed with moss. A highlight was Queen Victoria's former sled, designed by Prince Albert in 1842 and restored six years ago. The Queen's equerry assisted the children in decorating the Christmas tree, using swords to place ornaments on the topmost branches.
Ten-year-old Myra Murphy, who has rare Mirage syndrome, chatted with the Queen. Camilla encouraged her to be «head girl» as one of the oldest children present.
Start of Christmas
After lunch, the Queen addressed the children with her annual message. «I say this every year, to me it's the start of Christmas, I haven't really got my head round it till I come here and I realise it's about to happen,» she said. «It's so lovely to have you all every year and I'm so proud to be patron of two such wonderful charities. I know they do so much for the children and of course the parents – they're literally lifesavers – I'm thrilled to see you all again and I wish you all a very, very happy Christmas.»
The Queen serves as patron of both Helen & Douglas House and Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity, which support children with severe illnesses and their families.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
