Duchess Of Cornwall In St Albans

10 December 2014, 15:33 | Updated: 10 December 2014, 15:37

The Duchess of Cornwall joined members of a lunch club in St Albans as they prepared to tuck into a festive Christmas dinner.

Camilla was even greeted with a kiss on the hand by 89-year-old Eddie Mansfield at the Jubilee Centre in St Albans.

The Duchess laughed and chatted happily to Mr Mansfield, who admitted afterwards: "It might have been a bit cheeky.''

Camilla, who is an honorary member of the National Association of Care Catering, presented the over-60s lunch club with a Christmas cake decorated with a snow scene, miniature snowman, Santa and reindeer.

She was introduced to Nancy Rogerson-Mount, 88, from London Colney, who spent 25 years as a dinner lady and who is having her six children over on Christmas Day.

The Duchess told her: "You're going to have a really nice Christmas. Are you in charge of the cooking?''

Mrs Rogerson-Mount declared: "No, they're doing it. I'm having the day off.''

Camilla watched meals being loaded into vans for a meals-on-wheels scheme run by Hertfordshire Community Meals.

She also visited the charity Emmaus St Albans and met Sam Croft, who was previously homeless and had been living in a tent with his girlfriend.

He told Camilla: "Emmaus was the only place that helped. There's so much security here and it gives you a purpose.''

Camilla, who is patron of Emmaus UK, donated some Highgrove chocolate bars to the organisation's Rucksack Project, which provides people living on the streets with bags filled with practical clothing and supplies for the winter months.

Emmaus St Albans provides up to 33 formerly homeless people with a safe home environment and the opportunity to work on upcycling furniture and other household items.