The Duchess of Edinburgh attended a charity gathering at St James’s Palace in London on Wednesday, where she shared a cake‑cutting moment with model and actress Ellie Goldstein, who has Down’s syndrome.
A highlight of the evening was a novelty chocolate lollipop station that used facial‑scanning technology to create sweets bearing the likeness of each guest, including a lollipop made from the Duchess’s own face that was presented to her by Mencap ambassador Marco Dragonetti.
Dragonetti, a former British diplomat turned charity advocate, explained that the lollipop was part of a fundraising drive, saying he hopes to donate any potential winnings from the TV competition “Traitors” to Mencap in memory of his late younger brother James, who lived with global developmental delay and autism.
His appeal reportedly inspired thousands of donations, although the exact amount raised was not disclosed.
Goldstein, who became the first contestant with Down’s syndrome to appear on the BBC’s “Strictly Come Dancing” last year, performed earlier this year at an afternoon tea hosted by the Duchess, dancing with partner Vito Coppola.
The event underscored the royal family’s continued patronage of disability charities and aimed to raise public awareness of Mencap’s work.