Queen ‘warms up' six-year-old girl's ‘cold hands' during blustery outdoor event
Camilla attended a Big Lunch at Canary Wharf in London on Wednesday to celebrate community friendship and nature at Eden Dock.
She wore a black and white spotted Fiona Clare dress with a cream trench coat draped over her shoulders to the event at the quayside, which saw cloudy weather and a chilly breeze.
Camilla met pupils from year two at the Mulberry Wood Wharf School during the event at Canary Wharf (Yui Mok/PA)
The Queen arrived to a medley from the musical West Side Story performed by the community choir, London Docklands Singers, before chatting to guests accompanied by Peter Stewart, chief purpose officer at the Eden Project, and Lindsey Brummitt, programme director for The Big Lunch.
Camilla went on to meet a group of children, aged six, from the local Mulberry Wood Wharf primary school who helped decorate the bunting for the event and showed the Queen some of their drawings.
As she greeted one six-year-old girl, Camilla said 'you've got cold hands', adding 'warm them back up again' as she rubbed the girl's hand in hers.
Camilla is a patron of The Big Lunch, which aims to bring communities together through food (Yui Mok/PA)
The Queen then sat alongside some 40 guests who were enjoying lunch on wooden decking by the dock and chatted to attendees from local projects and charities about their work.
Camilla wrapped her coat around her as the breeze picked up by the waterside and patted her hair down before posing for a group photograph.
'How very sensible, I'd like to borrow your jacket,' the Queen said as she sat down next to Andre Simon, founder of Radojunkie, an organisation that supports young people to boost their personal development through martial arts, who was wearing a beige sleeveless body-warmer style coat.
The Queen welcomed a hot drink brought to her by a member of staff, saying 'oh, I'd love a cup of tea' as the milky drink was placed in front of her.
Camilla met Melanie Booth, winner of The Big Lunch Recipe Search competition (Yui Mok/PA)
Camilla has been a patron of The Big Lunch, a charity initiative formed by the Eden Project which brings communities and neighbours together, since 2013.
Formed in 2009, The Big Lunch organises events including street parties, barbeques and picnics where people mix and share food, with 10 million people taking part in 2024.
During the visit, Camilla admired two cakes, one made using produce including honey from the Eden Project in Cornwall and surplus food from the Felix Project, and another depicting the finalists' dishes from The Big Lunch Recipe Search competition.
The Queen announced the winner of the contest – which sought to unearth shareable dishes to inspire people to cook and eat together – as special educational needs teacher Melanie Booth.
Speaking at the event, Ms Booth, whose winning entry was empanadas she created during lockdown using homegrown butternut squash and chillies grown by her neighbour, said it had been an 'absolute honour' to meet Camilla.
Camilla meets two people dressed as bushes (Yui Mok/PA)
The former catering lecturer, who is from Wiltshire where the Queen owns a house, added that Camilla had previously sampled one of her mince pies at an event at Wiltshire College.
Ms Brummitt said the Queen was an 'amazing supporter' of The Big Lunch.
'It's wonderful to have her support,' she added.
'She cares so much about community, for the communities we work with it's so special for them to get to meet somebody like her and have that sort of personal thank you.'
Broadcaster Angela Rippon, who is an ambassador for The Big Lunch, and two people dressed as bushes were also among those greeted by the Queen.
The Eden Dock is the result of a partnership between the Eden Project and Canary Wharf Group which aims to bring nature to the city centre.
The Big Lunch, an annual event each June, will take place this year on June 7 and 8.
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