The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh gave a special Christmas reception at Buckingham Palace for the achievers of 2006.
Guests were invited from all walks of life, all of whom are considered to have made a significant contribution to local or national life in the past year.
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Students from Chelsea College of Art and Design decorate the Christmas trees with their handmade decorations in the Grand Entrance at Buckingham Palace
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The achievers came from all parts of the UK and represented a wide range of sectors including sport, voluntary work, armed forces, health and the arts.
The reception began with a festive rendition of Handel's Halleluiah Chorus, sung by the Blackbird Leys Estate Choir. The choir, which is being followed in its efforts by a television documentary crew, is made up of a group of residents from the Oxford estate who have transformed themselves into a classical music choir.
Their Choral Master, Andrew Stewart, said of the reception:
"I'm sure the Blackbird Leys Choir has converted many more people to choral music and encouraged others to join choirs.
To be invited to perform at Buckingham Palace is a tremendous recognition of their achievements."
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The Queen meets members of the the Blackbird Leys Estate Choir
© Press Association |
The Music Room and the Grand Entrance were decorated with Christmas trees and decorations including handmade pieces created for the occasion by students from Chelsea College of Art and Design. The milliner Philip Treacy also had a special contribution: he had designed a special star to go on top of the tree in the Music Room.
Other guests included Gee Walker, the mother of murdered teenager Anthony Walker, who set up a foundation in his honour to promote racial harmony. She said of the invite:
"I am sure he is looking down at us and laughing at the fact that we are off to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen. It is a great honour and a privilege - especially for a quiet and reserved family like ourselves."
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The Queen meets Gee Walker who was invited for her work promoting racial harmony
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Well-known guests included The Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips, who won gold in the World Equestrian Championships on her horse Toytown earlier in the year; comedian David Walliams who swam the Channel to raise money for charity and actress Thandie Newton who won a Bafta for her role in the film 'Crash'.
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The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh greet Zara Phillips and her partner Mike Tindall
© Press Association |
The reception marked The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh's final engagement before their move to Sandringham for Christmas. |
