The Queen has given a lunch at Buckingham Palace for the Royal Free doctor who helped save the lives of Britons infected with the deadly Ebola virus.

Dr Michael Jacobs, lead consultant in infectious diseases at the hospital in Hampstead, was among eight guests invited to dine at the monarch’s London residence yesterday.

Dr Jacobs and his team successfully treated Scottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey when she was readmitted to the Royal Free after developing meningitis caused by Ebola. Despite falling critically ill, the 39-year-old was discharged on November 11 after making a full recovery.

Ms Cafferkey, from South Lanarkshire, was first treated by Dr Jacobs and his team in December after contracting the virus while working at a Save the Children treatment centre in Sierra Leone.

The Royal Free consultant described the re-emergence of her Ebola virus and subsequent meningitis as “unprecedented”.

Dr Jacobs also led the team which successfully treated nurse William Pooley and British Army corporal Anna Cross when they were infected with Ebola while caring for patients in Sierra Leone.

Other guests at the luncheon party included the man in charge of securing the UK’s borders, Philip Duffy, and the designer behind the Olympic cauldron for the 2012 London games, Thomas Heatherwich.

They dined with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the Palace’s 1844 Room.

Since 1956, the Queen and Philip have given luncheon parties at the Palace to meet people from different walks of life.

Guests also join the Queen and the Duke for drinks beforehand and for coffee in the 18th Century Room afterwards.