Queen Camilla has added a historic first to her royal résumé, breaking new ground as both the first woman and the first member of the Royal Family to hold the honorary naval title of Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom.
The honorary position, originally established by King Henry VIII in 1513, was formally bestowed by King Charles III during a ceremony aboard HMS Astute, which Queen Camilla personally attended.
Some media outlets have speculated that the appointment may have been a birthday gift for her 78th birthday on July 17.
Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff said the Queen’s new role “will further enhance Her Majesty’s relationship with the service,” as reported in The Telegraph.
“We are honored to welcome Her Majesty The Queen to HM Naval Base Devonport,” he said per the newspaper.
“Her Majesty’s visit has been a tremendous boost to morale, and the honorary appointment reflects the high regard in which Her Majesty is held by all of us.”
Camilla has served as Lady Sponsor of HMS Astute since 2007, and the ceremony marked the end of the submarine’s historic first commission during which the Ensign and Union flags were lowered and the national anthem was played.
She also received a “Cheer Ship” — a special Royal Navy salute given to distinguished visitors — in her capacity as Lady Sponsor, before attending a garden party with the submarine’s crew and their families.
“Eighteen years ago, I was enormously proud to visit Barrow-in-Furness as your newly appointed Lady Sponsor. Eleven careful owners, 307 million nautical miles, and 357 harbor entries later, it is such a pleasure to bring together the entire Ship’s Company to celebrate HMS Astute’s first commission,” Camilla told those in attendance.
“During the course of my role as your Lady Sponsor, I have had quite the education into the life of a submariner. With this being the U.K.’s first submarine to embrace the digital world, perhaps these experiences of the unknown were shared across the ship’s company.
“Indeed, her warfare trials on the eastern seaboard of the U.S. were so successful, proving virtually impossible to detect, that the U.S. Navy had to update their own exercises to match her.
“As for the crew, I suspect that the novelty of having one’s own bunk was enough to make her ‘first of class, and second to none.”
In addition to her latest honour, Buckingham Palace marked Queen Camilla’s 78th birthday with the release of a new portrait taken at her private home in Wiltshire.
The photo, shared on social media by Buckingham Palace on July 16 — the eve of her birthday — shows the Queen smiling with her arms gently resting on a wooden fence. The relaxed and informal portrait was captured by royal photographer Chris Jackson at Ray Mill House, her personal residence.
“Ahead of Her Majesty’s 78th birthday tomorrow, a new picture of The Queen has been released by Buckingham Palace,” read the caption on the Royal Family’s official Instagram account.
Fans flooded the comments section with birthday wishes and admiration for the Queen.