Queen Camilla shakes hand of adorable little boy on board HMS Astute after becoming first UK woman to hold top Naval role

Daily Mail​

16-07-2025

Queen Camilla appeared in high spirits as she attended a garden party at HMNB Devonport on Wednesday to honour her new position as Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom.
The royal, 77, attended the event in Plymouth, which marked the end of HMS Astute's first commission, which is the longest first commission of any Royal Navy submarine in history, at over 15 years.
Camilla - who has become the first female Vice Admiral of the UK - put her best fashion foot forward in a sapphire pleated blue dress which fell elegantly to her ankles and paired the stunning ensemble with her trusty nude and black heels, pearl earrings and a classy gold brooch.
It is one of the Queen's favourite hues to wear to royal events and she has proudly sported the colour this week at Battersea Dogs' and Cats' Home on Monday.
During her visit, Camilla beamed as she inspected a guard of honour and was given a tour around the grounds by navy personnel.
She also adorably bent down to shake hands with a smartly dressed young boy, who is thought to be a sailor's son.
The Queen seemed pleasantly surprised when she was presented with an Admiral's Burgee by Rear Admiral Andy Perks, head of the submarine service, to mark her being made a vice admiral and recognise her ongoing support for the Royal Navy.
The First Sea Lord said '... the honorary appointment reflects the high regard in which Her Majesty is held by all of us.'
General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, said the honorary role would 'further enhance Her Majesty's relationship with the service'.
To commemorate her special visit, she was also gifted a bunch of flowers and a golden cling film holder which had printed on the side: 'First of Class, Second to None,' along with an HMS Astute plaque.
After a week of sunshine and a heatwave, Plymouth was hit with grey skies and drizzle, but the Queen refused to let the weather rain on her parade.
She instead came prepared, holding up a translucent umbrella to ensure her signature platinum blonde blow-dry remained perfectly intact.
The honorary vice admiral role, which dates back to the mid-16th Century, will include the formal presentation of a burgee, or pennant, by Rear Admiral Andy Perks, head of the submarine service, recognising the Queen's ongoing support for the Royal Navy.
Sir Gwyn, who is a Royal Marine, met Camilla on Tuesday when she was installed as an honorary freeman and liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers, an organisation associated with the Royal Marines.
He said during the City of London event: 'We're super proud of Her Majesty's role with HMS Astute, as are the crew, it really matters a lot to us as a Navy and to them as a crew that it's the Queen's submarine.'
The Queen joked to him about not wanting to serve on a submarine and the head of the Royal Navy said afterwards: 'I think we would all recognise that being a submariner is a very special skill set, you have to be really committed to the role and what you do for the country.
'It can be phenomenally rewarding, it's an amazing sense of teamwork onboard, but it's not for everyone.'
HMS Astute will undergo a major overhaul at Devonport naval base to allow her to continue patrols safeguarding the UK's interests for years to come.
Commander Christopher Bate, commanding officer of the hunter-killer submarine, said the crew took enormous pride in the Queen's sponsorship of their submarine and support for all onboard since she formally named the vessel nearly 20 years ago.
He said: 'Her Majesty the Queen has supported us from the very beginning, she has consistently shown a deep commitment to all aspects of our work.
'Her continued engagement with our activities and achievements over the years has meant a great deal to us.'
It's been a busy day for Queen Camilla, as she also visited a local children's hospice before she attended the navy event.
She listened to performances and spoke with care users, families and staff during a visit to Little Bridge House in Fremington, Devon, on Wednesday.
The unit - part of Children's Hospice South West - is celebrating its 30th anniversary of providing care for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions, and also helps support their families.
During her second visit to Little Bridge, the Queen spoke of the importance of children's hospices, saying more are needed around the country.
Her speech followed a game of air hockey with Daisy Clark, 15, a bereaved sibling.
The Queen immediately won a point from her opponent and played a second short rally, which ended in a draw.
Addressing staff, she said: 'These children's hospices are such wonderful places.
'I don't think we realise quite how lucky we are to have them. I think it would be wonderful if we could have a few more.
'Everyone who works in them and makes them such happy places deserve a huge, huge thank you.'
She said on her first visit to a children's hospice she thought they would be sad places, 'but they are completely uplifting'.
Camilla also praised the work of the charity's co-founder Eddie Farwell, who died earlier this year, and the Queen unveiled a commemorative photograph of him and his family.
Mr Farwell opened Little Bridge House with his wife Jill in 1995 after they experienced the urgent need for hospice care for children in the South West.
Their two eldest children, Tom and Katie, had life-limiting conditions, and the family had to travel more than four hours to Oxford for support.
They went on to set up two other children's hospices in Cornwall and Bristol.
During her visit, the Queen heard a performance by Vanessa Klos, 18, a bereaved sibling who wrote a song in memory of her brother Jordan.
Speaking to the press, Ms Klos said: 'It's a song I have written called You Are the Reason.
'I wrote it for my little brother, who sadly passed away in December 2023.
'It's a song that allows me to express my emotions, and it's helped me grieve with his passing.
'It was an absolute pleasure (to sing for the Queen), I'm just so happy that I even got invited to do such a thing.
'I was holding tears back thinking about my little brother.'
She added that the Queen told her the song was beautiful, and Jordan would be proud of her.
Lizzy Farwell, daughter of Eddie and Jill, who remains an ambassador for the charity, described the visit as 'really moving'.
She said: 'It's incredibly special to have the Queen here.
'To come here and celebrate 30 years of the Children's Hospice South West was really an honour.
'When my dad passed away, she wrote to me to send her condolences. It was very special for her to take that time.'
She added that the photograph unveiled by the Queen was special to her as it was one of the few pictures of her, her parents and her two siblings.
Phil Morris, chief executive of the charity, added that the visit 'meant the world' to the families who use the service and the staff.
'She gave us such encouragement to carry on, she said there should be more children's hospices in the UK and around the world, which really shows her compassion,' he said.