Sarah, Duchess of York brought early Christmas cheer during a surprise visit to a south London school last week.

The 65-year-old author visited Surrey Square Primary School, where she read her latest children’s book to students amidst a winter wonderland setup that even included a visit from a polar bear.

Dressed in a green velvet blazer, matching trainers, and a black mini skirt, the Duchess highlighted the efforts of The Caring Family Foundation (TCFF), which addresses food insecurity among children and families.

She also helped serve nutritious meals, provided by Bill’s, including festive mini puddings decorated with iced Christmas trees. Following this, she read her book, Flora & Fern: Wonder in the Woods, to the delighted children.

Reflecting on the visit, Sarah shared her experience on Instagram: “How fantastic to join the children of Surrey Square Primary School in @thecaringfamilyfoundation’s Festive Wonderland. From reading Flora & Fern: Wonder in the Woods to enjoying Christmas-themed cakes and an unforgettable polar bear visit, it was wonderful to see so many smiles. Thank you to all the volunteers for creating such a magical day and supporting the ‘Food From The Heart’ campaign to fight child poverty and food insecurity in the UK.”

Currently, 900,000 school-aged children in England living in poverty miss out on free school meals. TCFF’s campaign aims to provide one million meals by the end of 2025.

The visit followed a family outing with her grandsons and daughter, Princess Eugenie.

Sarah enjoyed a day at Windsor Great Park Illuminated with Eugenie and her young sons, August (3) and Ernest (1). Eugenie shared a glimpse of their festive adventure on Instagram, writing: “The start of the Christmas countdown was made even more magical this year with granny and mummy time at @windsorilluminated.”

The Duchess also voiced her support for Eugenie’s charity, the Anti-Slavery Collective, co-founded with Julia de Boinville.

Sarah encouraged her 749,000 Instagram followers to raise awareness about modern slavery, sharing the My Epiphany series from the charity: “Modern slavery is happening all around us. Please spread these powerful stories and help bring awareness to this ongoing issue.”