The Queen got into the festive spirit as she joined children with life-shortening conditions in Queen Victoria's former sled.

Every year, Queen Camilla hosts families supported by charities Helen & Douglas House and Roald Dahl 's Marvellous Children's Charity. Her equerry decorates a tree with them and they receive gifts from Santa.

Image: Soldiers chat with Father Christmas.

Lunch served by a Queen

After a lunch of bangers and mash served by the Queen, she said to the children: "I say this every year, to me it's the start of Christmas, I haven't really got my head round it till I come here, and I realise it's about to happen.

"It's so lovely to have you all every year and I'm so proud to be patron of two such wonderful charities."

She added that the charities do so much fo

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