Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who turns 75 on Sunday, will celebrate the occasion with a small family dinner at Prince Charles’s Highgrove estate in south-west England.
The palace released a new portrait of Camilla for the occasion, taken by Chris Jackson at Camilla's home in Raymill, Wiltshire, last month. In the shot, she is wearing a blue floral dress from Sophie Dundas, and is surrounded by flowers, with a cup of tea in front of her.
The big occasion follows British broadcaster ITV’s release of a documentary about the duchess’s stint as guest editor of Country Life, during which she helped produce a special edition celebrating the magazine’s 125th anniversary. In a personal tribute, Camilla selected Charles, her husband, as one of her rural heroes.
“It’s not easy to write about your husband," she said in the film. “I bit through several pencils.”
The portraits of Camilla for Country Life were shot by her stepdaughter-in-law, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, who is known as a keen photographer.
The milestone birthday comes at a time when the monarchy, and Camilla’s place in it, are in a generational transition. As Queen Elizabeth II, 96, soldiers on during her twilight years, other members of the royal household are taking on new roles with more responsibilities.
Six months ago, in a statement marking her 70 years on the throne, the queen expressed her “sincere wish” that Camilla would be known as queen consort when her son succeeds her. With those words, Queen Elizabeth sought to answer once and for all questions about the status of Camilla, who was initially shunned by fans of the late Princess Diana, Charles’s first wife.
The queen’s statement marked a big moment in Camilla’s transformation from the “third person” in the marriage of Charles and Diana to consort in waiting. Once blamed for the disintegration of the marriage, the public has grown to accept her in the years since she married Charles in 2005.
She’s taken on roles at more than 100 charities, focusing on a wide range of issues including promoting literacy, supporting victims of domestic violence and people who have osteoporosis. Known for having a wicked sense of humour, she has softened Charles’s stuffy image and made the heir to the throne seem less remote and more accessible.
Camilla alluded to her approach to royal life earlier this week during a reception and lunch sponsored by The Oldie magazine, which honoured her birthday.
In a nod to the magazine’s target audience, the duchess noted that she was born in 1947, the same year that Queen Elizabeth married her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. She paid tribute to him, and pledged to emulate his example.
“The Duke of Edinburgh’s philosophy was clear — look up, look out, say less, do more and get on with the job,” she said. “And that’s just what I intend to do.”
See the Duchess of Cornwall's style evolution over the years:
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Queen Consort Camilla wearing a black shift dress and pearl choker, arrives at a party in London in June 1996. Photo: UK Press -
The queen consort in a green floral gown, arrives at the Vogue & Jaguar It's Fashion charity gala on June 11, 2001 in Buckinghamshire, England. Getty Images -
The queen consort in a pink floral dress and coat, arrives at the Sandringham Flower Show in Norfolk on July 31, 2002. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a gold dress with a co-ordinated coat, arrives at the Globe Theatre for The Prince's Trust Shakespeare Gala Performance Evening in London on September 1, 2003. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a black dress and velvet coat, at the UK film premiere of Merchant Of Venice in London on November 29, 2004. Getty Images -
The queen consort after marrying Prince Charles, wears an Anna Valentine set for her civil ceremony at The Guildhall, Windsor on April 9, 2005. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in Anna Valentine, and Prince Charles leave the Service of Prayer and Dedication after their marriage at Windsor Castle on April 9, 2005. Getty Images -
The queen consort, wearing a light-blue set, visits a mosque in Cairo on the second day of a 12-day royal tour visiting Egypt, Saudia Arabia and India in 2006. Getty Images -
The queen consort, wearing a blue printed dress, and King Charles after a Falklands War flypast on June 17, 2007 in London. Getty Images -
The queen consort dances with Craig Revel Horwood during a visit to St Clement Danes School in London on October 20, 2009. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a teal gown, arrives at the Royal World Premiere of Alice In Wonderland on February 25, 2010, in London. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a cream silk chiffon dress with a matching coat and a wide-brimmed straw hat by Philip Treacy, with King Charles at the wedding of Prince William and wife Katherine at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. Getty Images -
The queen consort attends the London 2012 Olympics Equestrian Eventing at Greenwich Park wearing a blue animal print dress on July 6, 2011. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a brown dress, cardigan and scarf, during a visit to Borough Market in London on February 13, 2013. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a silvery blue sequinned top and trousers, with Queen Rania of Jordan arrive for a private dinner in Amman, Jordan on March 11, 2013. Getty Images -
The queen consort and King Charles are met at Jeddah Airport by the Governor of Makkah Prince Khalid al Faisal on March 16, 2013. Getty Images -
The queen consort, dressed in a black and red lace gown, attends a Gala Concert and Reception to mark the 125th Anniversary of ICAN at St James's Palace on January 21, 2014 in London. Getty Images -
The queen consort wearing a tweed coat and black boots for an official visit to the new Wine Research Centre at Plumpton College on March 26, 2014. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a navy dress and coat, walks with Sabina Coyne during a ceremonial welcome at Windsor Castle on April 8, 2014. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a purple tartan jacket and skirt, attends an official visit to The London Book Fair at Earls Court on April 9, 2014. Getty Images -
The queen consort in a tweed coat and fur hat at the Cheltenham racecourse on March 11, 2015. Getty Images -
The queen consort wearing a black and navy lace gown for a reception for supporters of The British Asian Trust at Natural History Museum on February 2, 2016 in London. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a white and gold coat, in Al Ain on the second day of a Royal tour of the UAE on November 7, 2016. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a light yellow salwar kameez with a parasol, tours the Humanitarian City in Dubai on November 8, 2016. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a navy polka dot dress and coat, with King Charles attends a service for the VC and GC Association at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London on May 10, 2016. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a green velvet gown, attends a reception for supporters of The British Asian Trust on February 2, 2017 in London. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a red coat and hat, attends a Christmas Day church service with King Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on December 25, 2017. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a pink dress and a feathered hat, with Meghan's mother Doria Ragland and King Charles, leaves St George's Chapel in Windsor after the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan on May 19, 2018. Getty Images -
The queen consort has an ice cream with Dame Judi Dench on July 24, 2018 in Cowes, Isle of Wight. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a green dress and black cape, is greeted by a Guard of Honour during her visit to the Malmesbury Residents Association on January 23, 2019 in London. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a cream silk gown and tiara, attends the State Opening of Parliament in London on on October 14, 2019. AFP -
The queen consort, in a dark green coat, arrives for ladies day at Cheltenham Racecourse on March 11, 2020. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a pink tweed coat and black boots, visits the Community Vaccination Centre at St Paul's Church on March 3, 2021 in Croydon, England. Getty Images -
The queen consort, in a blue Fiona Clare dress, and Jordan's Queen Rania visit the Children Centre in Amman on November 16, 2021. Reuters -
The queen consort, in a white Anna Valentine gown, attends a private dinner at the Al Husseiniya Palace in Amman on November 16, 2021. Reuters -
King Charles and the queen consort, wearing a green floral dress, at the of Umm Qais in Jordan on November 17, 2021. Getty Images -
King Charles and the queen consort, who is dressed in white Anna Valentine piece, attend a centenary celebration of the founding of the Jordanian state, at the Jordan Museum in Amman on November 17, 2021. Reuters -
King Charles and the queen consort, who is wearing a light pink Anna Valentine outfit, arrive at the presidential palace in Cairo on November 18, 2021. Getty Images -
King Charles and the queen consort, wearing a wool and cashmere blend robe by Saudi designer Yahya Al Bishri, on stage during the platinum jubilee concert on June 4, 2022. AP -
The queen consort, wearing a red and white Max Mara dress and Chanel pumps, at a reception at Buckingham Palace in London on June 9, 2022. PA -
The queen consort, wearing a blue Bruce Oldfield gown, in photo taken for British Vogue at Clarence House for the magazine's July issue. AP -
The queen consort, wearing a green floral Fiona Clare dress, walks with Lady Rothermere at the Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival on June 20, 2022. Getty Images -
The queen consort, wearing a blue floral dress from Sophie Dundas, poses for an official portrait to mark her 75th birthday, at her home in Wiltshire, England. AP -
The queen consort in a red coat dress by Fiona Clare and a striking beret by Philip Treacy at a Royal Navy ceremony in April 2023. AFP -
King Charles III and the queen consort, wearing a blue wool crepe coat dress by Fiona Clare, in a portrait released in April 2023 ahead of the coronation. Reuters
