Queen Camilla sends Christmas pudding up in flames with cheeky warning at party

Queen Camilla spoke of her nerves as she attempted to flambe a Christmas pudding at a festive lunch held for those who support the Royal Voluntary Service, which hopes to make sure nobody spends Christmas alone

Queen Camilla helped flambe a Christmas pudding, warning guests to "hold onto their hair" as the festive treat went up in flames.

The Queen, who admitted she was a "bit nervous" about her torching role, poured an entire jug of brandy over the pud at a lunch for the Royal Voluntary Society (RVS). Telling volunteers gathered for the launch of 'Festive Spread', a community lunch aimed at making sure no-one spends the Christmas season alone, that she was "eternally grateful for everything you do".

Camilla, 77, added: "As I always say, this country would collapse without you." The RVS, which is hosting 70 of the events across the country, invited the Queen and charity ambassadors Felicity Kendal and Elaine Paige, to mix with guests and volunteers. Catherine Johnstone, CEO, told assembled guests that the Queen would be joining them shortly before she arrived, saying that Her Majesty would rather they did not worry about curtsying or what to call her and concentrate on enjoying themselves.

Laughing, she described her own role in the lighting of the Christmas pudding as a "career-limiting moment". Lunch was made with the help of students at West London College, who were the first people to meet the Queen as she arrived. Asking them how long they had beeen cooking and what they particularly liked to make, she told them it was "so nice" and "so lovely" of them to use their new skills to help others with the RVS.

Felicity Kendal and Elaine Paige, both of whom have worked with the RVS for years, asked Camilla how she was after her bout of pneumonia, for her to joke: "I'm still standing." Joining the lunch, she sat down at a succession of round tables, shaking hands with the volunteers and guests who were wearing Christmas hats and hairbands, and waiting for their lunch.

The topic of the Christmas pudding came up multiple times, with the Queen saying: "I'm a bit nervous". Making the gesture of a fire roaring upwards, she said: "I can just see it! You're making me nervous now." Smartly dressed in a cream silk shirt and dark green jacket by Anna Valentine, one volunteer joked to the Queen whether she was wearing a fire-retardent coat.

Camilla praised volunteers, repeating that it was "so important", and asking about their Christmas plans. "I used to do that," the Queen was heard to say, during a conversation about Meals on Wheels. She occasionally leaned in to an elderly guest for a quieter conversation.

The lunches have been created to help make sure the vulnerable, elderly or bereaved do not spend the entire festive season without seeing another person. "Everyone has something to say," the Queen said. She wished each table "happy Christmas" before moving onto the next, sitting down at three in total.

Invited to the front of the hall, where a large Christmas pudding - measuring 36cm in diametre and weighing 10kg - was laid out on a plate, the Queen joked: "Hold onto your hair!" Catherine Johnstone, in a short speech, told the Queen: "You are amazing. We didn't know whether you were going to be able to come today, we would totally have understood if you couldn't, but the fact that you have has made it very special for everybody so thank you.

"You are an amazing patron and I don't want to steal your line but every time we meet you say volunteers are the backbone of our community. If every volunteer went on strike just for one day, the country would literally grind to a halt. It's never more needed now for people to be stepping forward in their communities."

Turning to the Christmas pudding and wielding a large fire lighter, she told the Queen: "I am going to do the lighting, you're going to do the pouring. You pour as much as you would like, and I'll do the honours" Given instructions to pour the brandy over the pudding, the Queen said "right... right..." in concentration as she kept pouring, as the room echoed with laughter.

"I think it would be very sensible if ma'am could just stand back a bit," Ms Johnstone said, before sending it up in flames. The Queen delivered a short speech of her own without notes, saying: "Thank you all for all you do for the community. As I always say, this country would collapse without you. I am eternally grateful for everything you do." The Queen has been President of the RVS since 2012 and became Patron in May of this year.