Windswept Queen Camilla battles the weather throughout RAF Leeming go to
Queen Camilla battled to cope with the elements as she landed on a blustery airfield today.
Her Majesty, 77, arrived by plane at RAF Leeming, in North Yorkshire, in her role as Honorary Air Commodore to meet service personnel and their families.
Wearing an elegant blue Fiona Clare dress she remarked on the wind, which was ruffling her hair and outfit. ‘It literally started blowing up just before you arrived ,’ she was told.
Station Commander Group Captain Paul Hamilton introduced Camilla to members of 11 Squadron QEAF who train both RAF and Qatari pilots on Hawk jets.
She also met members of 90 Signals, specialists in communications and cyber defence, and a specialist counter drone team who worked on the Coronation and recently teamed up with French counterparts for the Olympics.
Queen Camilla battled to cope with the elements as she landed at RAF Leeming, in North Yorkshire airfield today
After posing for a group photograph, she was awarded a medallion by Qatari pilots to mark the gratitude. ‘Thank you very much, I shall find somewhere safe for this,’ she said.
Afterwards the Queen visited the station’s wellness area, which is made up of allotments, a polytunnel growing area, chicken coups and beehives.
She met Ophelia, 18, months whose father, Liam Barsby, 24, is a radar technician. Her mother Phoebe, 25, told the queen how her daughter loves to come down each day to feed the chickens.
She said: ‘It’s good to start them young. There’s nothing better than getting in your garden and going into the chickens. It’s very soothing.’
The Queen was also shown a group of rescued battery hens, adding: ‘ It’s so good to rescue them. You can build them up.’
She was also taken with five rare breed Ixworths and the noise they were making.
Camilla also remarked that ‘there’s nothing better than picking up an eggs, they always taste much better’.
Mr Barsby said afterwards: ‘She loved hearing about how Ophelia comes down each morning to feed the chickens. It’s wonderful having somewhere they can get outdoors to grow and explore. The little ones love being able to run about.’
Her Majesty arrived by plane at RAF Leeming, in North Yorkshire, in her role as Honorary Air Commodore to meet service personnel and their families
Camilla posed for a group pic with pilots from 11 squadron of the Qatar Emiri Air Force, during her visit to RAF Leeming
Wearing an elegant blue Fiona Clare dress she remarked on the wind, which was ruffling her hair and outfit
The queen was given a card and flowers by RAFA Kidz Leeming nursery children Ffion and Archie, both three.
Archie handed the Queen the bouquet and said ‘these are for you’, to which Camilla laughed and said ‘Oh thank you Archie.’
She then went inside to explore the polytunnels where everything from flowers to tomatoes, chillies, courgettes and lettuce are grown using hydroponics, which uses 90 percent less water.
‘They taste much better when you grow them yourselves than buy them in a shop,’ she said approvingly.
Among those she met were Ben Stubbings with his wife Harriet and baby daughter, Rose, three and half months.
The queen looked amazed when told that Harriet had gone into labour while up at the poly tunnels and had almost given birth there. ‘Well that would have been a first!’ She exclaimed.
She also listened to Darwin Sadd, eight, read her a poem about them – before giving her an illustrated version of it.
Queen Camilla, who was Honorary Air Commodore, shook hands with a pilot from the Qatar Emiri Air Force
She met Ophelia, 18, months whose father, Liam Barsby, 24, is a radar technician. Her mother Phoebe, 25, told the queen how her daughter loves to come down each day to feed the chickens
Camilla, pictured, met with another volunteer at the vegetable garden, during her visit to RAF Leeming
The Queen was shown drone surveillance equipment during her visit to the base. Pictured during her outing
Camilla, pictured, looked impressed by the RAF equipment and she enjoyed her tour around the airfield
The royal oozed glamour as she accessorised with pearl diamond earrings and a matching necklace
A woman curtsied in front of Camilla, as she arrived at the vegetable garden. The royal pictured during her visit
The queen was given a card and flowers by RAFA Kidz Leeming nursery children Ffion and Archie, both three
Camilla viewed a flypast during her visit to the RAF Leeming airfield today. Pictured during the visit
‘That was brilliant!’ Camilla said. ‘You are very clever.’
As she left, she was treated to a fly-over by three Hawk jets before heading back up in her own to Scotland to rejoin her husband.
Station Commander Group Captain Paul Hamilton said of the visit: ‘I was just saying to her in the car how much it meant to us.
‘It means a huge account to everybody here, the whole community. The wellness and welfare of our people is hugely important to us and that’s what we have shown today, as well as the operational capacity.
‘Sometimes in the military people and their families need help and that’s what we really try to do here. It’s been a wonderful, wonderful day.’
