Mrs Hetherington, from Gosport, had been battling with multiple sclerosis for 16 years and found the best therapy for her painful condition in the art of cross-stitching.
She said: ‘I love what I do, and as I multiple sclerosis I find sewing helpful because it helps me relax.
Also at a reception at the Victoria and Albert Museum were some of the 460 men and women who successfully submitted decorations for the royal tree in a competition launched by a needlework magazine.
The tree was inspected by the royal family in the palace, and they were reported to be highly impressed by the standard of work on display.