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The Christmas puddings mixed by four generations of the Royal Family have been distributed to members of the armed forces as part of a project by the Royal British Legion to spread the festive cheer.
The Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince George each took up a wooden spoon in aid of RBL’s Together at Christmas initiative a few days before December 25 last year.
The royals stirred four large bowls of puddings, which traditionally bring good luck, and added four commemorative six pennies that lucky recipients will find while preparing the puddings at Buckingham Palace.
The holiday gifts have now been given to armed forces communities at home and abroad.
Servicemen, volunteers, and people supported by the RBL participated in virtual meetings to bring people together as issues such as loneliness and financial concerns come to the fore.
Four commemorative six pennies were placed inside the puddings.
RBL CEO Charles Byrne said: “Christmas can be a time when people’s financial worries or feelings of loneliness, isolation or anxiety intensify, this year more than ever as people continue to adapting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We want all those within our community who may be feeling the pressures of the season to know that additional support is available and that the Legion is here for them.
“Bringing people together, fighting loneliness and helping individuals and families feel connected is an important part of our work throughout the year.”
The RBL’s first Christmas Together events would be held at Main Street venues, nursing homes and Legion branches, but the pandemic meant meetings had to be moved online.
The RBL has sent 99 puddings to families in the UK, others in Spain and Fiji, and to service personnel deployed to Bahrain this Christmas.
The RBL has sent 99 puddings to armed forces communities at home and abroad.
Poppy Appeal volunteer veteran Vera Parnaby, 81, of Consett, County Durham, who has raised over £ 1 million, received a special Christmas pudding.
Julian Groves, 59, who served in the Royal Army Medical Corps for 11 years, joined one of the meetings and discovered six pence in his pudding.
During the pandemic, he has been receiving regular calls from the Legion’s Telephone Buddy service to help him with his social isolation.
He said: “It is incredibly special to be a part of Together At Christmas and I was surprised to discover the six pence.
“I’ve never done anything like this before, but the sense of camaraderie it created made me feel like I was back in strength.”
“No matter how difficult things are, the Legion always meets, making sure everyone is well cared for.”
