May 2006 Newsletter: A Review of Camilla's First Year as The Duchess of Cornwall

[Anna_R]

* THE ROYAL FORUMS' NEWSLETTER – MAY 2006 *

Welcome to the May 2006 edition of The Royal Forums’ newsletter.





//GrandDuchess & Alexandria

PS. If there is a royal person or residence, or a special piece of jewelry you would like to see covered in a future issue of our newsletter, please let us know here in the newsletter feedback thread. Our member comments and suggestions are always welcome.

FORUM NOTES

 

[Anna_R]

THE ROYAL CALENDAR

BIRTHDAYS

2 HRH Nathalie, Prinsesse zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1975)
3 HRH Princess Caroline-Luise of Hanover (1965)
4 Lady Catherine Brandram, born Princess Katharina of Greece (1913)
4 Pauline Ducruet (1994)
7 HH Princess Elisabeth of Denmark (1935)
8 HRH Crown Prince Moulay Al-Hassan of Morocco (2003)
10 HRH Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco née Bennani (1978)
11 Princess Irene of Greece (1942)
13 HRH Carl Philip, Prince of Sweden, Duke of Värmland (1979)
15 Dom Duarte, Duke of Bragança, Head of the Royal House of Portugal (1945)
15 Zara Phillips (1981)
15 Ana Maria Morales (2003)
16 HSH Maximilian Prince of Liechtenstein (1969)
17 HRH Máxima Princess of the Netherlands (1971)
18 HSH Alfons Prince of Liechtenstein (2001)
24 HSH Joseph Wenzel Prince of Liechtenstein (1995)
25 HRH Laurentien Princess of The Netherlands (1966)
26 HRH Frederik Crown Prince of Denmark (1968)
27 HSH Moritz Prince of Liechtenstein (2003)
28 Don Ferdinando, Duke of Castro (1926)
31 Prince Christian of Hannover (1985)

ANNIVERSARIES

13 Wedding Anniversary of Dom Duarte & Dona Isabel, Dukes of Bragança, Portugal (1995)
14 Wedding anniversary of HM Juan Carlos I King of Spain and HRH Sofia Princess of Greece and Denmark (1962)
14 Wedding anniversary of HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson (2004)
19 Wedding anniversary of HRH Constantijn Prince of The Netherlands and Laurentien Brinkhorst (2001)
22 Wedding anniversary of HRH Felipe Prince of Asturias and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano (2004)
24 Wedding anniversary of Ari Behn and Märtha Louise Princess of Norway (2002)
25 Wedding anniversary of Princess Birgitta and Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern (1961)

DATES OF NOTE

17 National Day of Norway

 

[Anna_R]

ROYAL QUICK HITS

Here are a few threads that the TRF Team feel are of note and worth to take a look at


Five threads that we think are of note for April and May.

 

[Anna_R]

(The Duchess' Coat of Arms)

A Review of Camilla's First Year as The Duchess of Cornwall​

On February 10th, 2005, Clarence House announced that Camilla Parker Bowles and the Prince of Wales would marry on April 8, 2005, at Windsor Castle with a civil service followed by a religious prayer.

Her Royal Highness's engagement ring, is a Windsor family heirloom that belonged to the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. With a 1920s platinum setting, it is composed of a square-cut central diamond flanked by six diamond baguettes.

Announcement thread

The first appearance of the officially engaged couple happened at that same day at a dinner in Windsor Castle. Camilla was wearing a long red gown and sporting her engagement ring and a huge smile.



On April 4th, it was announced that the wedding would be postponed 24 hours until April 9th, so that the Prince of Wales could attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II as the representative of the Queen. The postponement also allowed some of the dignitaries that were invited to the wedding to attend the funeral.

1. The official engagement picture released by Clarence House
2. The stamps issued in commemoration of the wedding
3 - 10. Charles and Camilla's first appearance as an officially engaged couple

 

[Anna_R]

The Wedding: April 9th, 2005

The wedding took place at the Guildhall in Windsor. A civil ceremony was planned because of controversy within the Church of England regarding the remarriage of divorcés. This was attended by all the senior royals apart from the Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. At the wedding, the couple's witnesses were Prince William of Wales and the bride's son, Tom Parker Bowles.

For the civil ceremony, Camilla wore a cream-coloured suit and wide-brimmed cream-coloured hat.

For the blessing afterward, The Duchess of Cornwall wore a porcelain blue silk dress with hand painted ikat design, hand embroidered with gold thread work. Tones of blue and gold were the favoured colours. The designer’s starting point was Mrs Parker Bowles’ comment that she liked the style of the velvet dress which they had designed for her to wear for the Gala night at the Royal Opera House. To compliment the dress, The Duchess wore a gold leafed feather headdress tipped with Swarovski Diamonds.

Both ensembles were by Antonia Robinson and Anna Valentine, London designers who work under the name Robinson Valentine; both hats were made by the Irish milliner Philip Treacy.

The Duchess carried a small, simple elegant floral bouquet bound with silk from her dress. Complementing the grey blue of her dress, Auricular flowers in dusty shades of greys and creams with touches of gold, have been mixed with clusters of Lily of the Valley both for the scent and the sentiment. Again, these flowers are cut from English grown plants later to be grown in the gardens at Highgrove. A sprig of myrtle, representing happy marriage, was sent from a well wisher in Cornwall for the bouquet.

In keeping with tradition, the couple's wedding rings are crafted from 22 carat (92%) Welsh gold from the Clogau St David's mine in Bontddu. The design of the wedding rings is by Wartski, a London jeweller that has held the Royal Warrant to The Prince of Wales since 1979. The Prince wears his on the small finger of his left hand.

The civil ceremony was followed by a televised blessing at St George's Chapel, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, which the Queen and her husband did attend, along with many foreign royals. Along with the congregation attending their post-wedding blessing, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall recited an acknowledgement of past "sins and wickedness" taken from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. At the conclusion of the blessing, a contralto sang the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed in Russian. After the blessing, the Queen hosted an 800-guest reception in Windsor Castle.

Upon marriage, Camilla acquired all of her husband's titles as a courtesy, becoming Duchess of Cornwall, Princess of Wales, Princess of Scotland, Duchess of Rothesay, Countess of Carrick, Countess of Chester, Baroness Renfrew, Lady of the Isles.

Wedding thread
Wedding Special at Prince Charles' Official Website

 

[Anna_R]

April 2005

On the next day of their wedding, April 10th, the new Duchess and Prince Charles met well-wishers at Crathie Parish Church in Aberdeenshire, in their first public engagement after the wedding.

On April 14th, the couple met again the cheering crowds while opening a play park at Monaltrie Park in Ballater, Aberdeenshire.

On April 24th, Charles and Camilla attended a memorial service at The Gordon Highlanders Museum in Aberdeen, displaying to everyone the happiness they shared for being together.

On April 27th, Charles and Camilla opened London’s largest outdoor sports area and pavilion in The Regent’s Park, London.

Still on April 27th, the Prince and the Duchess attended a reception at The Queen's Gallery to launch Museums and Galleries Month.

On April 29th, they visited the Institute for Indian Art and Culture and officially opened a theatre named after The Prince’s great uncle, Lord Mountbatten. Camilla thoroughly enjoyed the visit and wore a broad smile the whole time the couple spent at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Institute in London.

 

[Anna_R]

May 2005

On May 2nd, Charles and Camilla met Wales's Grand Slam-winning rugby team at a celebration of the team’s achievement at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.

On May 4th, the couple offered a reception at Clarence House for supporters and donors of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer, of which Prince Charles is a Patron.

On May 8th, Prince Charles launched commemorations at a moving service at the Cenotaph, laying a wreath in tribute to the fallen as dozens of former servicemen watched along Whitehall, at one event to mark the 60th anniversary of VE Day. Camilla, taking part in her first major state occasion, watched the Cenotaph service from the balcony of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Continuing the day, the Prince and the Duchess, now together, attended the parade and service of the Combined Cavalry Old Comrades Association at the Cavalry Memorial in Hyde Park.

On May 16th, Charles and Camilla attended the gala performance of new West End musical The Far Pavilions, held in aid of The Prince of Wales’s Initiative in India. The Duchess, dressed in a tailored white and gold jacket and a full length gold organza skirt, said that the musical was based on one of her favourite books, the 1978 novel of the same name by British author M.M. Kaye.

On May 18th, the couple visited the Kemble Airfield in Cirencester. The field is a former RAF/UASF base, but is now in civilian use. Camilla showed her softer side with a feminine springtime look. Her blonde hair in loose waves, the Duchess chose a pretty pink tweed suit – and matching soft rose lipstick – accesorised with pearl earrings for the occasion.

Visit to the South West of England

On May 19th, The couple began two days of engagements in the South West of England with a visit to the Devon County Show near Exeter. Crowds cheered and applauded as the Duchess of Cornwall inspected cattle, sheep and pigs and sampled the local cider. Before the couple left, they were presented with a late wedding present, a garden seat hand made by a local craftsman, Martin Symes. The duchess inspected the seat and said: "If I sat down I would be out for the afternoon - it looks far too comfortable." The couple later travelled on to Cornwall for a reception at Restormel Castle, which is owned by the Prince's Duchy of Cornwall.

On May 20th, On their second day of engagements in the South West of England. Their Royal Highnesses opened the Sir John English unit, a new day assessment centre, during the visit to St Austell Community Hospital in St Austell, Cornwall. Inside the hospital four-year-old Amy Cheeseman presented a bouquet to The Duchess. The Duchess chatted to the little girl and said: “How lovely. Thank you very much indeed. I love your hat, it is very pretty.”

Together, Their Royal Highnesses unveiled a plaque opening the new unit at the hospital, which will provide a Falls Clinic and Stability Group, and rehabilitation services for coronary heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.


Later, Their Royal Highnesses traveled to the Isles of Scilly where they visited the main island of St Mary's. They made their first stop at St Mary’s to open a newly built passenger terminal at the airport. The couple signed a visitors’ book before unveiling a plaque commemorating the opening of the new terminal.


They next visited the Guardhouse, a Duchy of Cornwall property which is being turned into the Duchy's first commercial holiday let on the islands. After lunch, the couple walked down to St Mary's harbour, which was lined with holidaymakers and locals eager to catch a glimpse of the couple. They then offered their congratulations to newlyweds Andy and Antje Taylor, from Ongar, Essex, who married only half an hour earlier.


Prince Charles then presented Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Royal Humane Society awards before boarding a chartered boat to travel to the tiny community of St Agnes.


Pictures of the visit (click to enlarge)


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On May 23rd, The Duchess performed her first solo official engagement as she officialy opened the Medical Research Council’s Epidemiology Resource Centre in Southampton, in her capacity as President of the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS). Camilla’s mother and grandmother both died as a result of osteoporosis, and Her Royal Highness became involved with the NOS in 1994, becoming a Patron in 1997. In 2001, Her Royal Highness became President of the organisation and has made around 20 visits to bone units and hospitals across the country to help raise awareness of the fragile bone disease.


The Duchess also visited the Southampton Women's Survey, which is the largest study of women's lifestyle and childhood development ever carried out in this country, with 12,500 women involved. After Her Royal Highness unveiled a plaque to mark the official opening, Professor Cooper gave The Duchess a painting of statues outside the NOS offices as a gift. During the visit, The Duchess received several posies of flowers including one from two-year-old Emily Forrester from Southampton, who ran up to Her Royal Highness, gave her the posy and ran back to her mother before deciding to go back to The Duchess and give her a kiss.


On May 26th, the Prince and the Duchess attended the Asian Women of Achievement Awards in London, and told the finalists they were setting a “fantastic example”. Camilla made a stunning entrance at the gala wearing a sari-inspired look: a turquoise silk skirt and blouse with a drapped chiffon shawl over one shoulder for distinct Eastern flair.

 

[Anna_R]

June 2005

On June 1st, Charles and Camilla attended a reception for the Calendar Girls in London. The Calender Girls are a group of Yorkshire women who posed nude or semi nude for a calender to raise funds for Leukemia Research.

On June 7th,the couple attended the premiere of "Mystic India". They received a vibrant welcome as they arrived for the charity screening of Mystic India and were both presented with garlands of bright flowers. Camilla bowed her head and made a traditional "namaste" greeting by placing her hands together as a necklace of blue, orange and white chrysanthemums was placed around her neck.

On June 9th, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall carried out the inspection of the scarlet-coated Chelsea Pensioners during the annual Founder’s Day Parade.

On June 11th, Camilla made her debut at the Trooping the Colour ceremony, appearing at the balcony with the Royal Family and sharing a carriage with Prince William and the Earl and the Countess of Wessex.



On June 14th, it was time for the Duchess to debut at Royal Ascot.




On June 15th, Charles and Camilla toured the BBC Gardeners' World Live at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, one of the country’s leading garden exhibitions. They visited two Shakespeare-themed gardens, one by students at Derby College and another inspired by Anne Hathaway's cottage at Stratford-upon-Avon. There was also a sensory garden for people with visual impairment. Her Royal Highness was presented with a rose which was named after her, the Rosa Duchess of Cornwall. A donation from the sale of each plant will go to the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS).
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Three-day visit to Scotland

On June 21st, The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, as Charles and Camilla are known in Scotland joined pupils for lunch when they visited a Scottish school which is pioneering a healthy eating scheme. Their Royal Highnesses were visiting Hurlford Primary in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, on the first of three days of engagements in Scotland.

Still on June 21st, The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay officially reopened the last surviving spinning mill in Paisley after a major refurbishment.

On June 22nd, The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay were guests of honour at a reception at Edinburgh Castle to mark the 60th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

On June 23rd, Charles and Camilla attended Prince William's graduation from St. Andrews University in Scotland.

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On June 28th, Charles and Camilla joined crew and guests aboard HMS Scott to watch Her Majesty The Queen review an international fleet of 167 ships to mark the Battle of Trafalgar 200 years ago.

On June 29th, Charles and Camilla attended the Metropolitan Police Annual Memorial Service and reception at the Metropolitan Police training centre, Hendon, London.

On June 30th, Camilla, on her second solo engagement opened a farm shop on the Duke of Wellington's estate at Stratfield Saye, Hampshire.

 

[Anna_R]

July 2005

On July 4th, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall paid tribute to the heroes of wartime Britain when they launched Veteran’s Week to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Their Royal Highnesses were officially opening the Living Museum in St James's Park, London, where the experience of living in wartime Britain is brought to life.

On July 5th, Charles and Camilla invited Kindertransport evacuees who had fled Nazi Europe on the eve of the Second World War to Clarence House to hear their heartbreaking stories.

On July 7th, Charles and Camilla attended a ceremony in Cardiff to commemorate the end of the Second World War.

On July 8th, Charles and Camilla paid a visit to the people wound by the terrorist attacks in London subway.

On July 10th, Charles, Camilla and Prince Harry accompanied The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh to the National Commemoration of the end of the Second World War on Horse Guards Parade. The day was the culmination of a week of events to mark the six decades since the conflict came to an end.

 

[Anna_R]

August 2005

Events of August 2005