The First Public Appearance Camilla Made After Being Announced As The Future Queen
Ever since Queen Elizabeth II announced on the day of her Platinum Jubilee celebration — which signified her 70th anniversary as Britain's sovereign — that she intends for Camilla Bowles to be crowned queen consort alongside her son, Prince Charles, at his future coronation, the news has become its own sort of cultural touchstone. Maligned for years by the press and public as Charles' affair partner during his marriage to the late (and beloved) Princess Diana, Camilla took great pains to reverse-engineer this reputation through philanthropic endeavors and a more low-key demeanor. In the decade-plus since her 2005 marriage to Charles, this plan seemed to work for the current Duchess of Cornwall, with even the queen expressing her strong support for her in recent years. And now, with Elizabeth's official declaration that it is her "sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as queen consort as she continues her own loyal service," Camilla's final ascension looks entirely inevitable.
Considering the gravity of the groundbreaking event that, while not quite a queen, Camilla will still perform similar functions pertaining to the title, it's more than expected that the public-at-large has been waiting with bated breath to see how the world will meet and interact with the duchess from now on. And it looks like her first public appearance since the announcement might give us a better picture of what that future will hold.
Could Camilla's first public outing be business as usual?
As People reported on February 8, Camilla Parker Bowles' first public appearance since Queen Elizabeth II's title announcement was a pre-scheduled visit to the Roundhill Primary School in the British city of Bath as patron of the St. Johns Foundation, a local charity. Upon arriving at the school, the Duchess of Cornwall was greeted by scores of onlookers waving Union Jack flags, per The Independent — a possible nod to her future role as queen consort. While there, Camilla aided in planting a silver birch tree in honor of Elizabeth's Green Canopy Initiative, along with her February 6 Platinum Jubilee, and participated in school-organized activities, including a reading circle.
Despite the Union Jack-laden reception, Camilla herself did not remark on her mother-in-law's announcement — but considering she and Prince Charles had issued their own official response shortly after the news broke, it isn't surprising. As People noted in their own reporting, the pair called Elizabeth's blessing an "honor" in a joint statement published on February 6. "We are deeply conscious of the honor represented by my mother's wish," the couple wrote. "As we have sought together to serve and support Her Majesty and the people of our communities, my darling wife has been my own steadfast support throughout."