While Princess Kate's Together at Christmas concert, The King's Christmas speech and the Royal Family's annual walk to church on December 25 have become treasured holiday traditions, there's one festive event that touches my heart every year.
Since 2005, Queen Camilla has welcomed seriously ill children and their families to Clarence House to help decorate her tree, meet Santa and his reindeer, and receive gifts. The children are supported by Helen & Douglas House and Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, two charities of which The Queen serves as patron, and this year, there was a new guest to help lift the spirits at the party.
Queen Camilla's new equerry, Major Rob Treasure, joined in the fun for the first time on December 11, helping children decorate the tree and chatting animatedly with guests. Military officers like Major Treasure, 29, are appointed as aides to senior royals to assist with their schedules and ceremonial roles. In this case, Treasure's job included delivering some Christmas magic to children dealing with life-limiting illnesses.
Treasure is replacing Camilla's beloved equerry Major Ollie Plunket, who was a particular favorite of royal fans. After formerly serving as a platoon commander in the 1st Battalion of the Rifles, Treasure joined the Royal Family after Plunket stepped down from his role in November. Although Plunket was on hand at the event, the Queen's new equerry showed he was settling into his role quite well as he assisted with the highlight of the event: decorating the tree with a sword.
Along with sword-related excitement, kids joined Queen Camilla to meet Santa (a.k.a. Father Christmas) riding on none other than Queen Victoria's sleigh, and also met real reindeer outside Clarence House.
Her Majesty has served as patron of Helen & Douglas House—the world's first children's hospice—since 2007, and has supported Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity as patron since 2017.
In a speech, she said, "I say this every year, to me it's the start of Christmas. I haven't really got my head 'round it until I come here and I realize it's about to happen." She added, "It's so lovely to have you all every year and I'm so proud to be patron of two such wonderful charities."
