Queen Camilla hosted a tea party and treasure hunt for six seriously ill children at Clarence House on Wednesday, creating what one mother described as “very precious memories”. The children, supported by the charity Dreams and Wishes, were treated to an afternoon of festivities, including a horse-drawn carriage ride from the Royal Mews to the royal residence.
Despite heavy rain forcing the event indoors, the Queen served tea and cake, helped the children search for chocolate treasure, and handed out party bags. The youngsters were greeted by a string quartet playing Disney tunes. Camilla complimented six-year-old Maria Lourenco Belo on her “very pretty” lilac princess dress and told ten-year-old Roman Davies his three-piece suit was “very smart”.
During the tea party, the Queen noticed a medal beside seven-year-old Rupert Williams. His mother, Hannah Williams, explained that he had been awarded the Chief Scout’s Commendation for Meritorious Conduct at Windsor Castle two weeks earlier for showing Scouting values despite his medical conditions, which include intestinal failure and haemophilia. Camilla promptly pinned the medal on Rupert, who later gave a toast: “Thank you for having this lovely meal. To the Queen.”
Tony Curtis, chairman of Dreams and Wishes, gifted the Queen a bottle of gin, whiskey, a clock, and plants. The Queen remarked that the gin was “my husband’s favourite”. The event concluded with a treasure hunt led by the Queen’s equerry, Major Treasure, who told the children that a wicked wizard had stolen the Queen’s treasure but had dropped it when two Grenadier Guardsmen scared him off.
