Latest news with #HMSAstute
Times
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Queen Camilla made vice-admiral of navy on birthday visit
What do you get the woman who has it all? A new title and a personalised clingfilm dispenser. At least, that's what the Queen received when she visited Plymouth on the eve of her 78th birthday. A new picture has been released to mark the occasion, showing her at ease in the garden of Ray Mill, her private Wiltshire home. The Queen has been made vice-admiral of the Royal Navy, the first woman to hold the position in the UK, reflecting the 'high regard' she commands among sailors. She also received an engraved clingfilm holder as part of an 'inside joke' from the HMS Astute crew, which she appeared to be thrilled with, for her 78th birthday on Thursday. The joke relates to an incident that occurred on the nuclear-powered submarine. As lady sponsor of HMS Astute, the Queen had been made aware that the submarine's crew had once used the transparent plastic film to fix a problem with the engines on board. • Queen Camilla resists adopting a dog from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home She was said to have found the solution 'quite amusing' and upon seeing her specially engraved gift, exclaimed: 'Oh my goodness the famous clingfilm! Oh brilliant, it's a useful substance … I'm sure it works. How lovely, thank you very much.' Commander Christopher Bate, captain of HMS Astute, explained after her departure that the substance had saved the day for the submarine. 'We had a defect on board and we were losing vacuum in the main engines,' he said. 'The engineers on board said we could either come back to port to fix it or use something on board. So they used clingfilm from the galley.' He added: '[They] wrapped it in the engines and stopped air getting into it and reducing the vacuum, and therefore re-sorted propulsion at sea. And it's been on there for the last two and a half years, because it's such a big job to change the seals … Her Majesty found it quite amusing when she found out.' • Queen thanks Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon and discusses Montenegro holiday The gift came with a gold plaque that read: 'Clingfilm, keeping nuclear submarines at sea,' and 'First in class, second to none'. Bate said Camilla was 'very pleased'. During a downpour at the garden party to mark the end of the submarine's first commission, she said: 'Within this ship's company, those extraordinary endeavours range from the innovation of one petty officer … through to the resourceful solution to maintain a vacuum, in the middle of the Indian ocean, with clingfilm! 'I can only imagine what the unofficial toolkit in a submarine might look like.' However her gift may have to stay at Raymill, rather than at Clarence House — the London residence she shares with the King — as he is said not to like clingfilm. Tom Bower, the biographer, claimed the first time the King saw clingfilm he 'shrieked' and asked what it was. 'It's clingfilm, darling,' she replied, according to reports. The Queen spent the day in Plymouth touring HMS Astute and meeting submariners. She named the vessel in 2007, when she was Duchess of Cornwall, and said she was looking forward to its return after an upcoming four-year refit. But with 'global tectonics shifting unpredictably', she warned the submarine may return to an 'unfamiliar world'. • Queen reveals sadness at library closures as Holyrood Week begins HMS Astute conducts a range of missions including homeland protection and intelligence gathering. It will now enter a mid-life revalidation programme, including a refit which will finally see the emergency clingfilm removed. Discussing the Queen's involvement as lady sponsor, and now vice admiral, Bate said Camilla had been 'a really good supporter since day one'. 'For the last 15 years, she writes to the boat regularly,' he added, even sending tea and biscuits out to the crew when they had freezer failures. 'We lost a member of the ship's company two and a half years ago, which was quite difficult. 'She was very supportive, writing to the submarine [crew] and to his parents.'
South Wales Guardian
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Queen Camilla pictured in new photo released to mark 78th birthday
Camilla was pictured smiling in the sunshine and leaning on a metal gate in front of a meadow at her Wiltshire residence Ray Mill House. The image shows the Queen looking relaxed and wearing a turquoise dress in a Liberty fabric printed with a rainforest of toucans, lemurs and monkeys. Last year, Camilla was on duty on her birthday attending the State Opening of Parliament at the King's side. This year, she is said to be spending the day privately. The King, who is still being treated for cancer, is known to have been buoyed by his wife's support since his diagnosis last year. The pair celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary at the start of April and have had a busy run of engagements, including hosting a state visit by the French president last week, ahead of their upcoming annual summer break to Scotland. In the birthday portrait taken by photographer Chris Jackson earlier this month, Camilla can be seen wearing gold drop earrings, a delicate gold bracelet, a gold ring composed of circular plaques on her pinky finger, her wedding band and her five carat emerald cut diamond engagement ring as she places her hands together while resting on the gate. On Wednesday, the Queen was gifted a roll of clingfilm for her birthday in a special holder when she visited a nuclear-powered submarine in Plymouth. The wrapping was used to fix a defect in the main engines of HMS Astute. 'There's nothing more useful, brilliant, how wonderful,' the Queen remarked about the present which had a small plaque with the words 'Clingflim keeping nuclear submarines at sea'. Camilla is also to be made a Vice Admiral – a honorary role – in recognition of her support of the Royal Navy, it was announced the same day.
Leader Live
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Queen Camilla pictured in new photo released to mark 78th birthday
Camilla was pictured smiling in the sunshine and leaning on a metal gate in front of a meadow at her Wiltshire residence Ray Mill House. The image shows the Queen looking relaxed and wearing a turquoise dress in a Liberty fabric printed with a rainforest of toucans, lemurs and monkeys. Last year, Camilla was on duty on her birthday attending the State Opening of Parliament at the King's side. This year, she is said to be spending the day privately. The King, who is still being treated for cancer, is known to have been buoyed by his wife's support since his diagnosis last year. The pair celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary at the start of April and have had a busy run of engagements, including hosting a state visit by the French president last week, ahead of their upcoming annual summer break to Scotland. In the birthday portrait taken by photographer Chris Jackson earlier this month, Camilla can be seen wearing gold drop earrings, a delicate gold bracelet, a gold ring composed of circular plaques on her pinky finger, her wedding band and her five carat emerald cut diamond engagement ring as she places her hands together while resting on the gate. On Wednesday, the Queen was gifted a roll of clingfilm for her birthday in a special holder when she visited a nuclear-powered submarine in Plymouth. The wrapping was used to fix a defect in the main engines of HMS Astute. 'There's nothing more useful, brilliant, how wonderful,' the Queen remarked about the present which had a small plaque with the words 'Clingflim keeping nuclear submarines at sea'. Camilla is also to be made a Vice Admiral – a honorary role – in recognition of her support of the Royal Navy, it was announced the same day.
North Wales Chronicle
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Queen Camilla pictured in new photo released to mark 78th birthday
Camilla was pictured smiling in the sunshine and leaning on a metal gate in front of a meadow at her Wiltshire residence Ray Mill House. The image shows the Queen looking relaxed and wearing a turquoise dress in a Liberty fabric printed with a rainforest of toucans, lemurs and monkeys. Last year, Camilla was on duty on her birthday attending the State Opening of Parliament at the King's side. This year, she is said to be spending the day privately. The King, who is still being treated for cancer, is known to have been buoyed by his wife's support since his diagnosis last year. The pair celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary at the start of April and have had a busy run of engagements, including hosting a state visit by the French president last week, ahead of their upcoming annual summer break to Scotland. In the birthday portrait taken by photographer Chris Jackson earlier this month, Camilla can be seen wearing gold drop earrings, a delicate gold bracelet, a gold ring composed of circular plaques on her pinky finger, her wedding band and her five carat emerald cut diamond engagement ring as she places her hands together while resting on the gate. On Wednesday, the Queen was gifted a roll of clingfilm for her birthday in a special holder when she visited a nuclear-powered submarine in Plymouth. The wrapping was used to fix a defect in the main engines of HMS Astute. 'There's nothing more useful, brilliant, how wonderful,' the Queen remarked about the present which had a small plaque with the words 'Clingflim keeping nuclear submarines at sea'. Camilla is also to be made a Vice Admiral – a honorary role – in recognition of her support of the Royal Navy, it was announced the same day.
Glasgow Times
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Queen Camilla pictured in new photo released to mark 78th birthday
Camilla was pictured smiling in the sunshine and leaning on a metal gate in front of a meadow at her Wiltshire residence Ray Mill House. The image shows the Queen looking relaxed and wearing a turquoise dress in a Liberty fabric printed with a rainforest of toucans, lemurs and monkeys. Last year, Camilla was on duty on her birthday attending the State Opening of Parliament at the King's side. This year, she is said to be spending the day privately. Queen Camilla posing for a portrait to mark her birthday in the garden of her home Ray Mill House in the village of Lacock (for Buckingham Palace) The King, who is still being treated for cancer, is known to have been buoyed by his wife's support since his diagnosis last year. The pair celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary at the start of April and have had a busy run of engagements, including hosting a state visit by the French president last week, ahead of their upcoming annual summer break to Scotland. The King and Queen receive France's First Lady Brigitte Macron during the state visit at Windsor last week (Chris Jackson/PA) In the birthday portrait taken by photographer Chris Jackson earlier this month, Camilla can be seen wearing gold drop earrings, a delicate gold bracelet, a gold ring composed of circular plaques on her pinky finger, her wedding band and her five carat emerald cut diamond engagement ring as she places her hands together while resting on the gate. On Wednesday, the Queen was gifted a roll of clingfilm for her birthday in a special holder when she visited a nuclear-powered submarine in Plymouth. The wrapping was used to fix a defect in the main engines of HMS Astute. Flowers and a cling film roll holder that was presented to Camilla during a garden party for the HMS Astute Ship's Company and their families (Aaron Chown/PA) 'There's nothing more useful, brilliant, how wonderful,' the Queen remarked about the present which had a small plaque with the words 'Clingflim keeping nuclear submarines at sea'. Camilla is also to be made a Vice Admiral – a honorary role – in recognition of her support of the Royal Navy, it was announced the same day.
