Ugandan orphan's hug of hope at Windsor Castle

It was a rare moment that moved everyone looking on. 

Ugandan orphan Lydia Amito eschewed royal protocol and cuddled the Queen during a tea party for performers at the Diamond Jubilee Pageant in Windsor.  

The monarch, a grandmother of eight and great-grandmother twice over, bowed her head and smiled as the little girl embraced her.  

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Lydia, ten, was left orphaned at the age of one when her father was killed by rebel Ugandan forces and her mother died from disease.

But she overcame her troubles as a member of the Watoto Children's Choir – a charity set up to give hope to orphans from the African country.

"I was so excited about meeting the Queen" Lydia told the Sunday Telegraph after her royal encounter.  

"I hugged her because she is the Queen and she was very nice. Before I met her I had seen pictures of her so I knew what she looked like"

"It was great to meet her in the castle where she lives."