Last week, Her Majesty the Queen invited 4 Helen & Douglas House children: Faye, Riley, William and Summer and their families and some staff members for a fantastic day of festivities at Clarence House.
The day started off with a surprise visit from Father Christmas where Her Majesty then welcomed each family and led them through to the library which had a beautiful Christmas tree with a table full of decorations ready for the children to put on the tree. Riley and his mum Shailza then presented The Queen with some flowers, and the children were able to decorate the tree alongside her Majesty and her Equerry. Shailza also brought along a bauble with a photo of her son, and Riley’s brother, Stanley who died in 2023 and the Equerry put this on the tree to remember him.
Once the tree was decorated, it was time for a delicious lunch of sausages and mash, alongside seasonal sweet treats hosted by Her Majesty. The day was ended with a wonderful performance of Christmas songs by the Band and Bugles of The Rifles.
Shailza, Riley’s mum said “It’s been such an exciting day. We had a lovely lunch and met the Queen. She was so great and so down to Earth. She was very empathetic. Riley was smiling and the whole day was amazing.”
Jane Long, Helen & Douglas House CEO said “The children and families had such a magical time. Having Her Majesty The Queen as our Patron means to much to our charity as well as the families we support. It was wonderful for the families we care for to be able to visit Clarence House again this Christmas. Christmas can be a difficult time for these families, juggling the medical needs of their children with life-shortening conditions with the festivities. Christmas is also a time when they can make precious memories during their child’s short life which they will treasure forever, and this will certainly be a magical moment that they will always remember.”
