Queen Camilla’s Sparkling Christmas Party Sapphires at Clarence House

One of the most magical Christmas moments of the royal year took place on Thursday, when Queen Camilla hosted her annual Christmas party at Clarence House for children and their families. 

Queen Camilla’s royal Christmas party is held each year for children from a pair of medical-related charities and their family members. Helen & Douglas House, a pioneer in the children’s hospice movement, helps to care for children with terminal illnesses, while Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity provides care and support for seriously ill children living with complex, lifelong conditions.

This year marks the 19th anniversary of the Christmas party, which Camilla held for the first time at Clarence House shortly after becoming Duchess of Cornwall. She has been the patron of Helen & Douglas House since 2007, and she took on the same role for Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity in 2017. The mother of two of the children attending the party told royal reporter Rebecca English, “She was very understanding and sympathetic of people’s lives. And her life hasn’t been easy this year, has it? 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.”

The Queen took time to address the entire gathering during the party, saying, “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 apologize, 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.”

Camilla was also able to have more individual conversations with the children who were her honored guests. “To me, it was as though she was like a grandma, the concern, but also the fun,” one parent in attendance said. The Queen also helped to serve food to the children during the party. Here, she offers plates to two guests, Chloe and Sadie, who both wore lovely jewelry for their royal afternoon.

There was also a Christmas tree to decorate. The children helped Camilla add several baubles to the tree, and as usual, Camilla’s equerry, Major Ollie Plunkett, was on hand with his ceremonial sword to help place ornaments on the higher branches.

And of course Father Christmas had to pop in to make an appearance as well, dropping off festively-wrapped gifts for all of the children at the party.

For the occasion, Queen Camilla wore royal blue, accessorized with two playful brooches from her jewelry box. Both of the jewels were set with diamonds and sapphires.

Here’s a closer look at both of the brooches, which were insect-themed. The top brooch is either a butterfly or a moth—seasoned readers here will know by now that I can’t easily tell the difference!—while the bottom brooch is apparently a little bumblebee. Per Leslie Field, the bee brooch comes from the collection of the late Queen Elizabeth II.