Blind girl tries very first cup of tea at Windsor with Queen
A BLIND girl with a brain tumour sang for the Queen and gave her a handmade ring during a private afternoon tea at Windsor Castle.
Olivia Taylor, seven, who has been blind since she was diagnosed aged 17 months, shouted “Hello, your Majesty” while jumping with excitement when the Queen walked into the White Drawing Room. Olivia’s teddy called Corrie, given to her around the time of the King’s Coronation, had a seat at the table along with a personalised biscuit.
Olivia also tried her very first cup of tea, which was poured by the Queen.
After a long sip, she said “I love tea”, to which the Queen replied: “Oh, you love tea. There you are, you’ll be able to have tea from now on.”
Olivia was invited to Windsor Castle after the Queen learnt she had performed with the Bexley Music Primary Choir at Buckingham Palace as part of the King’s Christmas broadcast.
She gave the Queen a preview during their tea by standing up and singing Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer before receiving a round of applause.
Olivia was accompanied by her fouryear-old sister Imogen and their parents Lisa and Matt. They tucked into sandwiches – particularly Olivia, who asked for more ham ones – scones and biscuits personalised with the girls’ names.
Mrs Taylor told the Queen that Olivia has been on chemotherapy most of her life after she was diagnosed with a grade one brain tumour but is on a break at the moment and it was “really lovely that this all happened while she is so well”.
At the end of the meeting, the Queen hugged and kissed the sisters goodbye and asked Olivia’s parents to keep her informed of her progress, adding: “She’s been such a brave little girl, I’m so glad to have met her.”