An Eltham teenager who is a patient at Evelina London Children's Hospital has had the honour of meeting the Duchess of Cambridge.

Her Royal Highness, who is Patron of Evelina London, opened the Back to Nature play area at The Royal Horticultural Society's Garden Wisley in Surrey.

The new play garden features two connected treehouses and slides which encourage families and friends to have fun together in a natural environment.

It was inspired by The Duchess’ previous Back to Nature gardens, which Her Royal Highness co-designed, and includes a hollow log from her RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden, and the wildflower meadow and rolling hill showcased at Hampton Court.

Her Royal Highness invited children from some of her patronages to the Back to Nature Festival at Wisley.

Evelina London patients Louise Chipps, 14, Evelina McFarlane, three, and Hope-Tia Marriner, 10, were delighted to be able to attend with their families.

They enjoyed a range of outdoor activities including maypole dancing, a coconut shy, planting seeds, balloon modelling, learning circus skills and meeting animals in a petting farm.

Her Royal Highness spoke to Lorraine Chipps and her daughter Louise, who has brittle bone disease and recently had a hip replacement at Evelina London.

Lorraine, 47, from Eltham said: “It was a really lovely day and the first time we’d been outside in a month as Louise has been recovering from surgery. She was so excited to meet The Duchess and was almost bursting afterwards.”

Louise said: “The Duchess asked me what my favourite part of the day was and I told her it was meeting a princess. She was beautiful.”

Evelina London is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. The hospital was founded in 1869 as Evelina Hospital for Sick Children by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, whose wife, Evelina, died along with their baby in childbirth.

To find out how Evelina London will be celebrating its special birthday, click here.