The Queen was welcomed by the RAF, as she enthused about homegrown produce when she met families who had transformed a corner of an Air Force base into a smallholding.
Camilla visited RAF Leeming, in North Yorkshire, on Friday (September 6), where bees and chickens are kept and vegetables are grown on an allotment – a stone’s throw from where jet fighters land.
Her Majesty was all smiles as she arrived at RAF Leeming at around midday, as she was introduced to instructors who train RAF and Qatari pilots and saw cutting-edge Counter Uncrewed Air Systems.
Arriving in blustery, sunny conditions whipped up her hair as she was greeted by a guard of honour after her plane touched down at the base in North Yorkshire.
As she toured the wellness project, which the servicemen and women say provides them with a haven away from their military duties, Camilla told one family “Eating fresh eggs, they always taste much better.”
Organisers of the initiative rescued a group of hens from a battery farm when it closed and have also taken on several rare breed chickens, with the eggs sold via an honesty box.
In a poly-tunnel, families grow a wide range of produce from tomatoes and courgettes to peppers and herbs.
The wellbeing hub at the North Yorkshire military base is part of Project Wellness, which focuses on the importance of preventative mental health strategies among military personnel, as well as finding ways to help improve patient recovery rates for personnel suffering from mental health problems.
Camilla chatted to radar engineer Kyle Hewitt during her tour and spoke to his three children about the vegetables grown on the base: “They taste much better if you pull them up and cook them, much better than shop-bought carrots.”
The base is home to a squadron training Qatari airmen alongside UK pilots, the 90 Signals Unit, a cyber-security team, and the Counter Uncrewed Air System (C-UAS), which targets drones and has been working with the French authorities during the Olympics and Paralympics.
Camilla met representatives from 11 Squadron QEAF (Qatar Emiri Air Force), who performed a flypast, and others from the 90 Signals Unit and C-UAS.
Radar technician Liam Barsby, who helps organise the wellness project, said about its benefits: “It makes things a lot better, gives you a lot of things to do in the week and is positive for your wellbeing.”
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RAF Leeming is also home to 607 and 609 reserve Squadrons.607 Squadron is one of the first RAF reserve units to recruit space specialists, broadening the opportunities available to reservists as space becomes an environment in which capabilities are increasingly contested.
The Station is home to a range of squadrons and lodger units with broad expertise, and is the premier exercise location for UK and overseas militaries.
The Counter Uncrewed Air System (C-UAS) team is spearheading a vital and defensive capability in support of UK Defence, NATO, and wider Allies and partners.
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