The Duchess of Cornwall turns 75

As Her Royal Highness celebrates her 75th Birthday, find out more about The Duchess of Cornwall.

Camilla Rosemary Shand was born on 17 July 1947 at King’s College Hospital, London to Major Bruce Middleton Hope Shand and the Hon Rosalind Maud Shand (nee Cubitt). As the eldest of the three Shand children, Her Royal Highness has a sister, Annabel Elliot, and her brother, Mark Shand, sadly passed away in 2014.

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall married at the Guildhall in Windsor on 9th April 2005. In April 2020, Their Royal Highnesses celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary.

Since becoming a member of The Royal Family, Her Royal Highness has supported about 100 organisations as Patron or President. Her Royal Highness’s charity work is varied but several themes prevail: health; literacy; supporting those in need; the elderly, victims of rape and sexual abuse and domestic violence; empowering women; food; animals; dance; and heritage and the arts. 

Find out more about The Duchess's life and work.

British Vogue

In the July 2022 edition, The Duchess of Cornwall made her Vogue debut. Photographed by Jamie Hawkesworth in Clarence House, Her Royal Highness opted to wear her own wardrobe.

“I do Wordle every day with my granddaughter. She’ll text me to say, ‘I’ve done it in three’, and I say, ‘Sorry, I’ve done it in two today.’ It’s very satisfactory when it tells you how brilliant you are,” she chuckles.

What though, I wonder, does the Duchess like to do when she is by herself? When duty, family and the Prince are all otherwise engaged. “I would do a bit of gardening, go for a walk and then I’d sit down and read a book,” she replies. “It would be my idea of heaven, in the quiet of the countryside, where you can generally relax and properly think.” The mere thought of it brings a final smile. “I suppose what I’d think is, ‘I’m quite lucky that I’m still around.'"

Read the Vogue article in full here.

The Duchess's Birthday Books Project

Launched during a visit to Millbrook Primary in Their Royal Highnesses' annual Wales Week, The Duchess's Birthday Books Project, a new initiative providing 25,000 children from 75 primary schools in disadvantaged areas across the UK with a wellbeing and happiness-themed ‘kinderbox’ or mini library.

Following periods of lockdown and high levels of anxiety, pupils’ wellbeing is a key priority alongside education recovery.

The books selected for the mini library collection will be themed around wellbeing and happiness, to help children explore difficult emotions and find moments of joy through reading. The titles cover the full primary school age range from 4-11 years, and were selected with the input of children and young people.

The books will be presented in a specially designed ‘kinderbox’ book unit to complement the primary school library’s overall design and layout.

Country Life Guest Edit

Many months and thousands of hours later, The Duchess of Cornwall's Country Life Guest Edit has been published!

From the natural wonders of the South Downs to the gritty and depressing reality of rural domestic abuse, The Duchess' special edition of the magazine encompasses many of Her Royal Highness's own interests, concerns and hopes.

Commissioned by The Duchess of Cornwall as guest editor, Her Royal Highness invited The Duchess of Cambridge to capture the cover image at her home in Wiltshire, Raymill.

Take a sneak-peak at the process behind HRH's guest edit in a documentary, 'Camilla's Country Life', available on the ITV Hub.

The Oldie Birthday Lunch

 On Tuesday, 12th July, The Duchess of Cornwall attended a celebratory lunch at the National Liberal Club, hosted by The Oldie Magazine and Gyles Brandreth in honour of her 75th birthday.

The event also saluted remarkable people, including authors, actors, entertainers, scientists, sports personalities, poets and philanthropists, who are continuing to serve, contribute and achieve in their 70s, 80s and 90s.

Keep writing those books and poems, painting those pictures, making those films, making those jokes, supporting those charities, and giving service in the way that you do. Gyles tells me that we have in this room just under ten thousand years of accumulated experience and endeavour. No wonder we are all exhausted!

Read The Duchess of Cornwall's speech in full.

Guests were treated to poetry readings by poet Roger McGough, who had penned a new poem ‘The Living Proof’ in Her Royal Highness’ honour and Dame Penelope Keith, who read The Duchess’ favourite childhood poem. 
 

There was one final treat for The Duchess. While the room joined renowned singer Sir Willard White in a rendition of Happy Birthday, Her Royal Highness was surprised by her son and granddaughter who appeared with a special, personalised cake. 

The Earl Grey tea and chocolate flavoured cake was then shared with the pensioners of The Royal Hospital Chelsea.