Queen Camilla reveals unusual thrifty hobby at recent engagement

Queen Camilla revealed a thrifty hobby she likes to enjoy as she visited an Emmaus charity shop in West Norwood and learned how the charity is supporting the local community.

• Queen Camilla was out and about on December 13, on a royal engagement.
• The Queen consort visited a charity shop in Lambeth and chatted with the staff about their important work. 
• In other royal news, Kate Middleton’s ‘frugal’ first Christmas gift to Queen Elizabeth proved that risks can pay off.

On Tuesday, December 13, the Queen Consort met members of the Emmaus community at Bobby Vincent House. A post from the Royal Family social media page showed the Queen interacting with staff and being given a tour of the charity shop.

The caption of the post explained, "Her Majesty has a long-standing relationship with Emmaus, which supports formerly homeless people by giving them a home, meaningful work in a social enterprise, funded training and the support needed to get themselves back on their feet again."

While being given a tour of the charity shop by Rachael Burton, head of business, Camilla said that she too enjoys thrift shopping and commented that she would have liked more time to explore what the shop had to offer.

"With all these shops they never give me enough time to look around. All the furniture is so useful; I’ve picked up some nice pieces," said Camilla. It appears that even members of the Royal Family enjoy sustainable furniture and enjoy repurposing items that others would simply cast aside. 

Her Majesty then noticed a mug for  Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee this year, “yes, we saw a few of those," she remarked with a smile.

Camilla also revealed one of her favourite dishes as she was shown around the kitchen. “I always love a good spaghetti bolognese,” she said, showing that this nationally beloved dish is a favourite of even the royals. 

The Queen consort has been a patron of this charity since 2006 and has toured many of its communities across the UK. Since the death of the Queen, Camilla has now taken on more responsibility as the Queen consort. For this reason, the staff members at the charity were particularly grateful that she still made time to visit them

"It clearly hasn’t gone unnoticed to any of us, Ma’am, that you’ve recently had a big promotion at work," said James Hayes, chief executive of Emmaus South Lambeth, as he praised her for maintaining her connection with the organisation.

The Queen looked chic at this event. Queen Camilla's luxurious overcoat, leather gloves and ruffled cuffs prove it's easy to look chic while staying cozy in the winter weather.

Before leaving, Camilla also ensured to leave behind a treat for the 25 residents to enjoy over Christmas. This included two hampers filled with goods and several Highgrove goody bags.