King Charles decided to follow in the footsteps of his mother,
Queen Elizabeth II, one more time but this time, it was almost
impossible to do.
The King, along with Queen Camilla, decided to recreate one of
the late Queen’s most famous moments.
Back in 2021, during a visit to the Eden Project in Cornwall,
Queen Elizabeth II insisted on cutting a giant cake with a sword.
As King Charles and Queen Camilla made their own visit, they
decided to do exactly the same thing but the cake this time almost
won the battle.
Queen Camilla took another
note from Queen Elizabeth II and used a clear umbrella, a fashion
favourite of the late monarch
(Photo from The Eden Project)
With The King and Queen both in full action mode, they attempted
to slice through a stunning cake that was the centrepiece of the
first Big Lunch of 2026. The Big Lunch, of which Queen Camilla is
patron, is held every year to encourage people to share food and
time with others in their local community.
This royal launch brought together groups from around Cornwall
for a celebration. But the almost missed out on a slice of cake as
The King and Queen battled to cut the treat up for them.
Queen Elizabeth II famously
tackled a giant cake with a sword during her last visit to the Eden
Project in 2021 (i-Images/ Pool)
Queen Camilla is a notoriously expert cake cutter and has sliced
up many sweet treats presented to her with a flourish. She had also
witnessed the famous cake cutting of Queen Elizabeth at the Eden
Project as she’d attended the Big Lunch in 2021 at which the
incident took place, alongside the now Princess of Wales.
The King and Queen eventually managed to complete the initial
slicing of the cake, helped by the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall,
Colonel Sir Edward Bolitho.
Queen Camilla took a big
interest in the cake that she was about to cut but it didn’t make
the job na easier
(Photo from The Eden Project)
The Big Lunch visit also celebrated another milestone for the
Eden Project. It turns 25 this year and King Charles and Queen
Camilla enjoyed a visit to some of its star attractions to mark the
anniversary.
Part of the celebrations includes the brand new Giant Marble
Runs. There are eight new marble runs, covering over 100 metres,
and they’ve been designed to encourage people to play in nature.
Some of the marbles have been created from trees that were knocked
down in the storms that hit Cornwall earlier this year.
There were special marbles for the royal visitors, made from a
felled ash, and local school children were on hand to help with the
game. The design is also focused on delivering an charitable aim of
the Eden Project – nature recovery.
Queen Camilla met volunteers
who will be enjoying a Big Lunch in 2026
(Photo from The Eden Project)
There was also a chance to meet helpers, volunteers and funders
involved in this year’s Big Lunch. The 2026 weekend is on June 5-8
and is combining forces with the Big Help Out, the initiative
started in 2023 to encourage people to volunteer in their local
communities. It was first held to mark the Coronation of King
Charles and Queen Camilla.
The double event this year is called the Big Do! Peter Stewart, Eden Project Director
Emeritus and responsible for the Big Lunch, said ”it was an
honour to share the impact of Eden’s work over the past quarter
century with them and to look ahead to the charity’s future with
the launch of The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out, which we hope
will encourage the whole nation to get in the party spirit by
taking action and making a positive difference where they live this
year.”
Queen Camilla has been patron of the Big Lunch since 2013 and
often takes part in the community celebrations around the
country.
As the latest approaches, we can expect a lot more cake cutting
as she leads celebrations.
If you want more information on organising our own Big Do,
there’s lots more on the official website.