The Duchess of Cornwall’s first act as patron of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal was to draw the first numbers in the charity’s fundraising lottery.

Camilla, who still has a house in Reybridge on the edge of Lacock, invited eight members of Wiltshire Air Ambulance personnel and its appeal staff to Clarence House on Thursday afternoon as she took on the mantle of patron of the charity.

John Oliver, communications manager for the Great Western Ambulance Service, was at the reception.

He said: “It was a very informal and pleasant event. The Duchess met and chatted with everyone in the group. In her position she is constantly being invited to be involved with many good causes, but the Wiltshire Air Ambulance is particularly close to her heart, because Wiltshire is her county.”

The Duchess visited the Air Support Unit at police headquarters in Devizes last November and met police and paramedics, including police observer Graham Saunders and paramedic Richard Miller, who were also among the group at Clarence House, as was Appeal chairman Philip Selwood, who said: “To have a patron with such appropriate local affinities just makes this relationship even more perfect.”

A spokesman for Clarence House said: “The Duchess of Cornwall was delighted to launch the Wiltshire Air Ambulance lottery appeal and greatly enjoyed being involved in all their activities.”