King Charles bestows special honour as early birthday present for Queen Camilla
King Charles granted his wife Queen Camilla an early birthday present with a special honour during a key visit on Wednesday.
The Queen, who turns 78 on Thursday, July 17, has now been appointed as the new Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom. – an honour first created by King Henry VIII in 1513.
Just a day before her birthday, Camilla attended a ceremony in Plymouth on the HMS Astute, a submarine that she sponsors.
Camilla was seen beaming in photos taken during the royal engagement shared by Buckingham Palace after she received the new title.
“Each time I have met your Commanding Officers and visited the submarine, I am reminded of the exceptional servicemen and women in our Royal Navy,” Queen Camilla said in her message after the ceremony.
The Palace also released a statement about the event: “The Royal Navy have appointed The Queen as Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom at a ceremony on HMS Astute to mark the end of the Submarine’s first commission.”
It continued, “With the Ship’s Company, The Queen, as Sponsor of the Submarine since 2007, celebrated the service of HMS Astute over the last 15 years – the longest first commission of any Royal Navy Submarine in history.
“HMS Astute, the first of her class, is the lead Submarine in the Royal Navy’s fleet of Ship
Submerged Nuclear (SSN) or ‘Attack’ Submarines. They conduct a range of different missions, from intelligence gathering to homeland protection.”
It concluded, “The Queen also serves as Sponsor of HMS Prince of Wales, and holds honorary roles as Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Navy Medical Service and Naval Chaplaincy Services.”
