Queen Camillais getting into the Christmas spirit at Clarence House!
Though Buckingham Palace is synonymous with the British royal family, King Charles and Queen Camilla don’t actually live there. The couple are based at their longtime London home Clarence House as the palace undergoesextensive restoration, and shook uppast precedentwhen they opted to sleep at home instead of their designated Parliament bedroom the night before their May 6 coronation.
Queen Camilla arrives at the tree decorating event at Clarence House on Dec. 6.Kin Cheung WPA Pool/Getty
Kin Cheung WPA Pool/Getty
The Queen also had a special surprise up her sleeve — a visit from Santa Claus and his reindeer! The royal smiled for a photo with Santa, who is known as Father Christmas in England, and gently petted a reindeer bedecked in bells.
Queen Camilla at the tree decorating event at Clarence House on Dec. 6.Kin Cheung WPA Pool/Getty
Helen House became the world’s first children’s hospice when it opened in 1982, and Helen & Douglas House today cares for terminally ill children from Oxfordshire and surrounding counties. The hospice provides medical, emotional and practical support for the children to live life to the fullest, and Camilla became patron in 2007.
Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity has a similar mission, providing specialized nurses and other care for seriously ill children with some of the most complicated health conditions in the U.K. Buckingham Palace explained in a statement that many of the kids supported have multiple conditions, requiring lifelong specialized care. Today, there are over 120 Roald Dahl Nurses working with over 33,000 seriously ill children, and the specialized nurses uniquely serve as a lifeline for the whole family as they reduce emergency room visits, hospital admissions and coordinate care. As the Duchess of Cornwall, Queen Camilla became patron in 2017.
It’s already been a busy week for Camilla, who helped host theDiplomatic Receptionwith King Charles at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday night.Prince WilliamandKate Middletonalso attended the event, which welcomes hundreds of members of the Diplomatic Corps to the State Rooms of the palace for a celebration of their presence in London. According to theRoyal Collection Trust, as many as 1,000 guests attend — though the King and Queen aren’t the ones sending invitations!
Queen Camilla meets a reindeer at the tree decorating event at Clarence House on Dec. 6.Kin Cheung WPA Pool/Getty
The glam annual event also calls for the ultimate royal accessory — tiaras! Queen Camilla and Princess Kate, 41, both sported sparklers that they’ve previously reached for this year.
Queen Camilla accessorized her white gown with the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara. She made herdebut in the headpieceless than two months ago, when she and King Charles visited Mansion House totake part in longstanding traditionsmarking a new monarch’s first visit to the City of London.
The tiara is closely associated with the lateQueen Elizabeth, who wore the accessory numerous times throughout her 70 years on the throne, including in depictions of her on some British and Commonwealth banknotes and coins.
Queen Camilla, King Charles, Prince William and Kate Middleton before the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace on Dec. 5.Chris Jackson/Getty
Chris Jackson/Getty
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Last year’s rendition ofRoyal Carols: Together At ChristmashonoredQueen Elizabethfollowing her death in September 2022, and King Charles and Queen Camilla attended for the first time.
source: people.com
