Queen Camilla, Ross Kemp and Levi Roots attend annual Harvest Festival at Westminster Abbey

Queen Camilla led the congregation of more than 2,000 guests, joined by a lively mix of familiar faces, including Levi Roots, Ross Kemp, Matt Baker, and Charles Dance.

The Queen, who helped establish the National Harvest Service back in 2013, was greeted warmly as she arrived in the Abbey’s west door before joining the procession beneath the Abbey’s soaring arches.

The annual service, organised by Love British Food, began as a modern revival of the centuries-old harvest thanksgiving – the first of its kind at Westminster Abbey in nearly fifty years when it returned in 2013.

Its mission is simple but urgent: to give thanks for the land’s bounty while raising awareness of food poverty and waste in modern Britain.

The Abbey’s ancient stone nave was transformed into a vibrant scene, filled with crates of apples, baskets of grain and produce from farms across the UK. The choir’s soaring hymns, including Come, Ye Thankful People, Come, set a reverent tone as readers and speakers paid tribute to farmers and food producers.

Actor Charles Dance delivered a moving reading of The Harvest by Henry Birtles, while Poet Laureate Simon Armitage unveiled a specially written poem, Bread of Heaven.

The Bishop of Ramsbury, the Right Reverend Andrew Rumsey, delivered the address, reminding the congregation that “gratitude must come with justice”.

Queen Camilla, dressed in forest green, later met volunteers and charity workers, praising their efforts to ensure surplus food reaches those in need. The Abbey confirmed that all produce displayed would be donated to local food banks and shelters following the service.

The event closed with a rousing hymn and warm applause, the crowd spilling into the cloisters to exchange stories of harvests past and present.

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