- Camilla, 77, looked elegant in a long-sleeved suede navy dress
- Read more: Camilla reveals area where her Wiltshire home is was 'underwater'
Queen Camilla welcomed children with life-limiting conditions and their families to Clarence House to meet Santa Claus and help decorate a Christmas tree during a very special festive event.
Every year, the royal, 77, invites children supported by two of her charities, Helen & Douglas House and Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity, for a yuletide party at the King and Queen's official residence in London.
At this year's gathering, Camilla looked elegant in a long-sleeved suede Edina Ronay dress which she paired with black boots.
During the event, which has become a long-standing festive tradition, the Queen chatted with children, decorated a Christmas tree, and handed out beautifully-wrapped presents.
The guests were treated to a Christmas performance by the Band and Bugles of the Rifles before joining the Queen for a sausages and mash lunch.
The Queen told one family she was looking forward to an end to 2024, which has proved to be so challenging for the royal family because of King Charles and Princess of Wales's health issues.
Marie Verney, 48, who attended with daughters Katie, 17, and Faye, 12, who has complex medical needs, chatted to Her Majesty at length after she had spooned gravy onto the plates of the eight youngsters invited to her annual festive lunch.
Marie, who was widowed when Faye was a baby, said of Camilla: 'She was very understanding and sympathetic of people's lives. And her life hasn't been easy this year, has it?
Queen Camilla welcomed children and families to Clarence House to meet Santa Claus and to help decorate a Christmas tree
Fortunately, for Her Majesty she was told by Santa that she had definitely made his good list this year when he greeted her and gave her a gift
During the event, which has become a long-standing festive tradition, the Queen chatted with children, decorated a Christmas tree, and handed out beautifully wrapped presents
'She said she'd be glad to get to the end of the year and I think a lot of the families here feel like that as well,' Marie added.
'So there was that mutual understanding, but also, she's a fun grandma. She talked about her granddaughters herself because they are 17, like Katie. She's a really down-to-earth lady and put us at ease.
'To me, it was as though she was like a grandma, the concern, but also the fun - she's mischief.
'She said to Katie have you got a drink? She had elderflower. She said: 'Surely you'd like champagne?' Katie said yes.
'Next thing you know, she'd gone and got a glass of champagne for Katie and then she talked to Katie about driving and driving lessons, and then more serious stuff.'
Marie and her daughters have been supported by the children's hospice Helen & Douglas House and Marie said the Queen, who has been its patron since 2007, was 'very understanding and sympathetic of people's lives.'
She added: 'When you have a child with profound additional needs, life is quite insular, and the fact that you're welcomed in to do something magical is quite amazing.
'It's lovely to be included in things.'
Every year, the royal, 77, invites children supported by two of her charities, Helen & Douglas House and Roald Dahl 's Marvellous Children's Charity, for a very special party at the King and Queen's official residence in London
Helen House was the world's first children's hospice when it opened in 1982 and Camilla became Patron of Helen & Douglas House in 2007. Pictured: the Queen decorating a Christmas tree with children at the event
Eight children helped by the hospice and the Roald Dahl Marvellous Children's Charity sat around the table covered in candy canes, sweets, gingerbread biscuits and chocolate Santa figures after helping to decorate a twinkling Christmas tree.
They watched and helped as Major Ollie Plunkett, the Queen's Equerry, used his sword to place baubles and other ornaments onto its branches.
Fortunately, for Her Majesty she was told by Santa that she had definitely made his good list this year when he greeted her and gave her a gift.
'Ah hello Santa,' Camilla said. 'And a very happy Christmas to you. '
'I'm pleased to tell you that you are on the good list again this year,' he said, shaking her hand.
'Oh am I?' The Queen exclaimed. 'Oh I am delighted.' Taking her gift she said: 'You are very kind. Thanks so much for coming.'
Among the children was Lenny Willans-Jobson, five, who is one of just three children in the country to have Fox G1, a life-limiting condition.
His mother, Kelly Jobson, sadly died in March and Lenny was accompanied by his step-mother, Natasha Wilkinson, from Middlesbrough.
Camilla shook the hand of a young girl as she welcomed children and families supported by Helen & Douglas House and Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity, to decorate a Christmas tree
The queen admired his 'very smart dinner jacket and loafers', prompting Lenny to smile broadly.
Natasha said afterwards: 'What an incredibly special day. I just can't believe we are here. He hasn't stopped laughing and smiling. What a wonderful thing for her to have done for the children.'
Shailza Leaver gave the queen's equerry, Major Ollie Plunket, a very special ornament to hang on the tree with his sword.
It was a bauble featuring a picture of her son, Stanley, who died two years ago at the age of eight and a half from the same genetic and neurological condition that her surviving son, Riley, 11, suffers from. The bauble also bore his name and date of birth.
The queen made a point of telling Ollie to hang it carefully as it was so precious and he did so, placing it at the top of the tree.
Shailza said: 'Helen & Douglas House is like my second home, they are amazing. They wrap their arms around me and keep me whole.
'When I lost Stanley my worst scenario would have been for him to die in an ICU unit in hospital covered in tubes. Instead he slipped away peacefully in my arms at Helen & Douglas.
'We don't know how much time we have with Riley. His condition has gone down in the last six months. But we want it to be happy. And being here with the Queen it is truly a magical, magical memory. So special. '
The Queen chatted with children and handed out beautifully wrapped Christmas presents
Helen House was the world's first children's hospice when it opened in 1982 and Camilla became Patron of Helen & Douglas House in 2007.
Helen & Douglas House cares for local terminally ill children and their families from Oxfordshire and the surrounding counties.
It provides medical, emotional and practical support, helping families deal with the implications of living with a child who will die prematurely, so they can make the most of their time together.
Meanwhile Camilla has been Patron of Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity since 2017.
The charity provides specialist nurses who support seriously ill children living with complex, lifelong health conditions by providing a personalised, bespoke and holistic care.
During the heartwarming event, Camilla also helped children to choose decorations for a Christmas tree in Clarence House, telling Lenny, 'I think the mouse, Lenny,' and scooping up another decoration which dropped from the branch she had placed it on to try again. '
Ollie, how's the swordplay going?' she asked her equerry.
And as she helped Sadie Simons and Chloe Carter, both nine, to place others on the tree, she told them: 'My goodness me, you're doing brilliantly.'
The Queen admitted she was looking forward to 2024 ending after what has been one of the most challenging years for the Royal Family due to Charles and Kate's cancer diagnoses
After lunch, Camilla handed out party bags containing velvet and gold dressing up crowns, giant chocolate coins, teddies in bearskin hats and reindeer bells on leather straps bearing each child's name.
She was presented with flowers by the two charities and gave an impromptu speech, telling guests: 'I want to wish you a very, very happy Christmas and say how wonderful it has been to have you all here today.
'As I always say, every year, it's the start of Christmas for me and I'm sure a lot of others who come here every year, to see how wonderful it is and the pleasure it gives the children and also the parents, because they need a lot of looking after as well.
'I think it's so important for these two absolutely fantastic charities, both of which I'm so proud to be patron of.
'We have Father Christmas this year, but I must apologise, no reindeer, they've been put in quarantine. If you look in your party bags you'll find a very special present from them as well.'
Asked what was in the gift-wrapped parcels he had presented to the Queen, Father Christmas said, 'I could tell you, but Mrs Claus might shoot me.'
Holly Sparks, who along with daughter Maisie Reid, five, posed for photographs with the Queen, said of the event: 'It's like all our Christmases have come at once.
It's so special, so memorable, and it's memories that will last a lifetime.'
During the festive tradition, now in its 19th year, little children get treated like royalty for the day and help decorate the Christmas tree in the library
For an extra special treat, they got a visit not only from royalty but also from Father Christmas
The festive event comes after the Queen revealed that the area - understood to be where her £850,0000 Wiltshire home is located - was 'underwater' following the devastating flooding after continuous storms.
While chatting to members of the Military Wives Choirs - who treated Charles and Camilla to a festive performance in Buckingham Palace - the royal recounted the damage, possibly referring to Storm Bert that hit the UK two weeks ago.
One woman revealed that she is from Melksham, which faced severe floods in November.
'It's lovely,' Camilla replied. 'Got a bit flooded the other day.' 'It was very flooded,' the musician agreed.
'Where my house is was underwater,' the Queen said. 'You've never seen anything like it. It was like a seaside, you couldn't see anything apart from a lot of birds sailing about on the water.'
It is not clear if Camilla's house faced any damage, or just the nearby region. The royal bought her mansion, Ray Mill House, in 1994. She lived there until 2005, and, after her marriage to the then Prince Charles, kept it on as her country retreat.
Photos taken inside the dwelling in recent years certainly show that it reflects Camilla's laid-back country roots.
While there is no mistaking the grandeur of the dimensions of many of the rooms, the decor is low key and familial, with yellow-coloured walls and floral curtains.
Fortunately for Her Majesty she was told by Santa that she had definitely made his good list this year when he greeted her and gave her a gift
Queen Camilla shakes hands with a guest as she welcomes children and families to Clarence House
The kitchen - featuring a black aga - has yellow walls with red tiles and blue tiled flooring, while the bedrooms are also unfussy, with simple white bedding.
Wiltshire, where the property is located, was one of the areas heavily affected after Storm Bert brought 82mph winds, snow and a month's worth of rain, leaving at least four people dead in its wake in November.
Weather warnings have also been issued this week in Wiltshire, as Storm Darragh continues to batter the UK.
The most recent storm brought severe gusts which reached 96mph at Berry Head, Devon, and gales to the whole Irish Sea coast extending eastwards inland.
A rare red weather warning was issued for the west of England and Wales warning people not to go out unless essential and avoid making journeys by road.
