Oct 22, 2009, 11:27 GMT
Britain's Queen Elizabeth enjoyed tea with the women who helped keep the country supplied with food and timber during World War II.
The 83-year-old monarch was joined by more than 90 veterans - dubbed Land Girls and Lumber Jills - to mark the anniversary of the Women's Land Army's (WLA) disbandment 59 years ago.
The event was held in the Buckingham Palace ballroom and was also attended by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Alexandra and Princess Michael of Kent.
One former dairy maid, Dorothea Allen, said the event was "very nice indeed".
The WLA was set up in June 1939 to help farmers, increase the amount of food grown in Britain and replace male agricultural workers who were away fighting the war.
At its peak in 1943, there were 80,000 Land Girls who carried out tasks such as hoeing, ploughing, lifting potatoes, lambing and looking after poultry.
Dorothea said of the work: "When you're a dairy maid you have to work outside on the fields as well. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
"I'd like to be there now, it was just wonderful."
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