This was certainly a very special appearance for Queen Camilla (76): the wife of King Charles III. (75) visited the Royal Lancers on Monday (April 22). Not only has Camilla been honorary colonel of the military regiment since June 2023, taking over the role from the late Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022). It is also the regiment that her late father, Bruce Shand (1917-2006), served in during World War II.
The 76-year-old wore a military-inspired outfit for the appearance in North Yorkshire. Wearing a navy coat dress with gold buttons and silver shoulder trim and a red beret, Camilla diligently shook hands, accepted flowers and inspected the parade of 152 soldiers in attendance. In a short speech, the Queen also remembered her father by quoting a passage from his memoirs in which he describes his first moments in the regiment in 1937.
A video obtained by the Daily Mail also shows a sweet meeting between Queen Camilla and a five-year-old girl. The daughter of a soldier had practiced her curtsy for days before the meeting, but was then very nervous. Shortly after presenting the queen with a bouquet of flowers, she shyly hid behind her mother. “She was absolutely thrilled, it’s every girl’s dream to meet the queen,” she is quoted as saying.
The Queen also paid tribute to her late mother-in-law with her look: She chose a sparkling brooch with the regiment’s skull symbol, which came directly from Queen Elizabeth II’s jewelry collection. The late monarch was an honorary colonel in the Royal Lancers from her 21st birthday in 1947 until her death in September 2022.
