Her Majesty delighted royal fans when she paid a surprise visit to Maidenhead on Friday to open the new £22 million Thames Hospice building. Accompanied by her daughter the Princess Royal, the Queen appeared in good spirits and despite having episodic mobility issues for the past few months, she walked around the hospice alone with the support of a light cane to meet as many volunteers, staff and patients as possible.
Also among those present was a local MP and former Prime Minister Theresa May.
The ex-leader of the Conservative Party wore a formal cream and white outfit paired with a blue hat, perfectly suited to the occasion.
However, upon the arrival of the royal party, the MP was surprised to see that both the Queen and Princess Anne had decided to ditch any kind of headgear.
Speaking to 59-year-old Allison Sharpe, a volunteer at Thames Hospice who was also present at yesterday’s royal engagement, Ms May joked: “I was sure the Queen would wear a hat, that’s why I’m wearing one. .”
The sovereign normally wears hats when carrying out assignments outside of her residence.
However, she may have decided not to put on one on Friday due to the extremely warm temperatures sweeping across the UK.
Ms Sharpe shared more details about the visit, which was only announced to the press and the public at the last minute, and said the excitement for the royals’ arrival was clearly “palpable”.
Exclusive to Express.co.uk, the volunteer said: “It was exciting, it was actually magical.
READ MORE: Queen laughs when chat with hospice user is interrupted by husband’s phone
“She was sparkling, so happy and of course very happy to make the visit.
“I’m sure she must be getting pretty frustrated with her mobility issues so she was clearly well enough to be able to get out for a day. It made it so special.
“The anticipation and excitement of seeing her was palpable.
“You could feel it from the crowd there.”
NOT MISSING
Ms Sharpe shared a candid impression of those in attendance when they got to see the Sovereign in person, adding: “We were all a bit backslidden by how small she is – a lot of people said they just give her a hug.”
The Queen has long been associated with Thames Hospice, which provides a home away from home and palliative care for those suffering from life-limiting illnesses.
She first opened one of the charity hospices in Windsor in November 1987.
Yesterday’s trip to Maidenhead marked the Queen’s fourth official visit to the organisation.
During the visit to the hospice, the monarch looked quite stout as she bent down to shake hands with Pat White, a stage 4 cancer patient who was sitting on a green chair.
Just as the 96-year-old monarch and Mrs White were introduced, her husband Graham White’s phone started ringing.
The monarch took it under her wing and shed light on the situation by saying, “His phone rings right away.”
Mr White explained that it was his son who called him and that he was sure he had turned off his phone.
After meeting the Queen, Ms White described it as “very emotional” and a “memory I will cherish”.
When asked about her husband’s call, Ms. White laughed and said, “I could have killed him.
“People think the Queen is a stiff upper lip, but she has a sense of humor.”
During the engagement, Her Majesty also took the time to chat with the staff and marked her visit by unveiling a plaque and signing the guestbook.
After she left the hospice, Princess Anne stayed to tour the facility.
Ms Sharpe said: “After the Queen left, Princess Anne stayed to talk to the workers and staff and those who were nearby.
“I’m not sure if she saw patients, but she was very interested in the work that was being done.”