Summer 2006 Newsletter: Featuring Queen Elizabeth II & The Duchess of Cornwall

[GrandDuchess]

First Year as a Duchess - Official Engagements

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.

Pictures from: ABACA Press, AAP Image, Getty Images & Prince Charles' Official website

[GrandDuchess]

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)
Pictures from Getty Images & Prince Charles' Official website


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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.

Pictures from AAP Images, Getty Images, and Prince Charles's Official website

[GrandDuchess]

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.

Pictures from Corbis



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

Pictures from Corbis



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.

Pictures from Getty Images, Hello Magazine, Prince Charles' Official website and Rex Features

[GrandDuchess]

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.

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Annual Tour of Wales

On July 12th, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall have started their first annual tour of Wales together. Their Royal Highnesses visited Carmarthenshire as their first stop of the tour, to see how The Prince’s Trust Cymru is helping young people get into agriculture.

The Prince and The Duchess hosted a private lunch at Newton House, a National Trust property in Llandeilo, to thank key supporters of The Prince’s charities in Wales. Charles and Camilla also visited Cwm Berem Farm, near Llandeilo, to visit a pedigree herd of Welsh Black Cattle. Their Royal Highnesses enjoyed high tea and Welsh cakes with farmer Enzo Sauro and his family in the farmhouse in West Wales.

The Prince and The Duchess then officially opened Cig Calon Cymru Cyf abattoir in Crosshands Business Park, Carmarthenshire before visiting a local farm shop where they were presented with a Welsh black beef sirloin and fillet steak.

On July 13th, Charles and Camilla started the day with a trip on a steam train, as they opened a new station on the Talyllyn Railway in Tywyn, Gwynedd. Their Royal Highnesses also visited Tregynon, Powys, to join the 20th anniversary celebrations of Coed Cymru, a charity which helps to manage Welsh woodland. The third stop for them was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Farmers' Union of Wales on the farm of the President of the Union, Gareth Vaughan, at Dolfor, Powys. Their Royal Highnesses also visited Gorwydd farm to meet the Trethowan family who make the award-winning Gorwydd Caerphilly cheese and met members of the SCA and presented the James Aldridge Memorial Trophy to the makers of the best raw milk cheese.

On July 14th, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall joined hundreds of villagers in Pendoylan for the two minutes silence to remember those who died in the terrorism attacks on London. Their Royal Highnesses were visiting Pendoylan, a pretty village that was the winner of the Environment category for Wales in the 2004 Calor Village of the Year competition.

The Duchess of Cornwall performed her first solo engagement in Wales at the University Hospital in Cardiff, as President of the National Osteoporosis Society. The Duchess left to rejoin The Prince at Ty George Hospice in Whitchurch, Cardiff, where Their Royal Highnesses were due to open a new hospice building.

Some pictures of the trip (click to enlarge)
Pictures from Prince Charles' Official website



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On July 17th, Clarence House announced the new Coat of Arms for The Duchess of Cornwall to mark Her Royal Highness's 58th birthday.
The crest shows both the Coat of Arms of her husband, HRH The Prince of Wales, and her father, Major Bruce Shand. On the left hand side of the central shield is the Royal lion Supporter of The Prince of Wales while on the right-hand side is a boar taken from Major Shand’s Crest.

On July 19th, Camilla attended her first event at Buckingham Palace after the wedding: the Buckingham Palace Garden Party.

On July 20th, Charles and Camilla visited the search and rescue helicopter hangar at Osprey Quay,
Portland, Dorset, to present a Colour and the Commodore’s Commendation for bravery.

On July 22nd, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall spent a day conducting engagements in Suffolk. They attended the Service of Celebration and Thanksgiving for the completion of the Millennium Tower project at St Edmundsbury Cathedral. After the service, The Prince and The Duchess toured an exhibition showing the different stages of the Cathedral Project. Charles and Camilla also toured an exhibition on traditional Suffolk life, and both of them pulled a pint of local ale during a visit to a beer stall set up by the Greene King Brewery based in Bury St Edmunds. To finish the day, they visited St Nicholas Hospice in Bury St Edmunds where they met patients, volunteers and staff, and the town of Lavenham where Their Royal Highnesses visited the Guildhall of Corpus Christi.

On July 26th, The Prince and The Duchess visited Norfolk to launch a new lifeboat and to mark National Parks’ week on the Norfolk Broads.

Pictures from Prince Charles' Official website & Getty Images

[GrandDuchess]

August 2005

On August 4th, Charles and Camilla toured the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Thurso Lifeboat Station at Scrabster in Caithness, Scotland.

On August 5th, The Prince and The Duchess attended the Mey Highland Games in Scotland.

On August 7th, still in Scotland, Charles and Camilla attended a Church Service at Canisbay Church near the Castle of Mey.

Pictures from Prince Charles' Official website and Getty Images

[GrandDuchess]

September 2005

On September 10th, Charles and Camilla attended the wedding of the Duchess' son, Tom Parker-Bowles to Miss Sara Buys, held at St. Nicholas Church at Rotherfield Greys in Oxfordshire.

On September 12th, The Duchess agreed to become President or Patron of 6 more charities:
• Animal Care Trust (under the umbrella of The Royal Veterinary College)
• London Chamber Orchestra
• The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists
• Youth Action Wiltshire
• Cornwall Community Foundation

Camilla also agreed to become a President of Scotland’s Gardens Scheme based in Edinburgh, mirroring a similar role to The Prince of Wales who is Patron of the English equivalent, the National Gardens Scheme.
For a full list of Camilla's Patronages, click here

On September 13th, The Prince and The Duchess paid tribute to recipients of the Victoria Cross and the George Cross who have died over the years at a Service of Remembrance and Re-Dedication.

On September 14th, Charles and Camilla visited Richmond in North Yorkshire to help celebrate the 850th Anniversary of the market town’s charter. First, they visited the oldest and most complete working Georgian theatre in Britain, the Georgian Theatre Royal. After that they toured the Richmond’s farmers’ market, and sampled the pork and cheese on offer. Charles and Camilla ended their day's visit with afternoon tea and scones at Richmond station, a Grade II-listed building.

On September 18th, The Prince and The Duchess unveiled a lasting monument to the heroic Royal Air Force pilots who defeated the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain, and a attended a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey.

Pictures from Getty Images and Prince Charles' Official website

[GrandDuchess]

October 2005


On October 23rd, Charles and Camilla joined other members of the Royal Family in a weekend of engagements to mark the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

On October 25th, Camilla took part in her first gala dinner, in honor of the State Visit of the King and Queen of Norway, together with the Crown Princely Couple. Her Royal Highness wore the magnificent Delhi Durbar Tiara.

On October 26th, Camilla attended a reception for Americans representing arts, culture, business, media and public services at Clarence House

On October 26th, Charles and Camilla welcomed the Crown Princely Couple of Norway, Haakon and Mette-Marit, for tea at Clarence House.

On October 27th, Charles and Camilla attended a lunch hosted by the Norwegian Royal Family on their yacht moored on the River Thames.

On October 27th, Camilla received a delegation from Axminster at Clarence House.

Pictures from Getty Images

[GrandDuchess]

November 2005

Official Visit to the United States

On November 1st, The Prince and The Duchess arrived in the New York for the first leg of their tour of the United States of America. They visited Ground Zero as the first stop of their tour.

Charles and Camilla were taken to the site of the World Trade Centre straight after landing in New York to pay their respects to the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001 and to meet relatives of those who died. The Duchess left a bouquet of yellow and orange orchids, roses and lilies at the site memorial with a hand-written message from them both that read “In
enduring memory of our shared grief, Charles and Camilla.”

They also went to visit the British Memorial Garden which is dedicated to the memory of the 67 British victims of the atrocity. The Prince is Patron of the project, that is intended to be a gift to the people of New York and provide a place of reflection and remembrance. Their Royal Highnesses unveiled a dedication stone in memory of the British victims of the terrorist attacks. The inscription on the memorial stone, made of Morayshire stone, reads: “This stone was laid on 1 November 2005 by the Patron of this garden, The Prince of Wales.”

In the evening Their Royal Highnesses attended a reception at the Museum of Modern Art. The Prince and The Duchess, who was wearing a midnight blue velvet dress with a large white lace collar, made their way inside accompanied by the host, British Consul General Sir Phillip Thomas, as a jazz band played in the corridor. Guests at the event included Donald Trump, Sting and Trudi Styler, Yoko Ono and Joan Collins.

Pictures from Prince Charles' Official website and Getty Images



On November 2nd, Charles and Camilla went to Washington DC and were received by the President of the United States, George W. Bush and the first lady, Mrs. Laura Bush.

Accompanied by first lady Laura Bush, they toured the SEED Public Charter School, the only public urban boarding school in the U.S.

In the evening, Charles and Camilla attended a gala dinner at the White House.

Pictures from Getty Images



On November 3rd, Charles and Camilla attended a meeting on osteoporosis at the National Institutes of Health.

They toured an exhibition of The Prince's School of Traditional Arts, at the National Building Museum.

In the evening they attended a reception at the ambassador's Residence in Washington.

Pictures from Getty Images