Today, King Charles III became the second monarch to deliver a speech from the throne during the Opening of Parliament in Canada, and Queen Camilla joined him wearing the bejeweled badge of a Canadian Armed Forces regiment.
Inside the Senate of Canada Building, King Charles III and Queen Camilla sat beside Prime Minister Mark Carney for the Opening of Parliament. Wearing the neck badge of the Order of Canada, the King delivered a speech written by the Canadian government, with a few personal additions. He noted, “This is my 20th visit to Canada, spread over the course of more than half a century, and my first as Sovereign. As I have said before, every time I come to Canada a little more of Canada seeps into my bloodstream–and from there straight to my heart.” The speech concluded with a call for continued unity and strength in Canada: “As the anthem reminds us: The True North is indeed strong and free!”
For the second day of the Canadian visit, Queen Camilla wore a navy blue dress with a matching hat and handbag and a neutral pair of shoes.
She accessorized with favorite pearl pieces—her four-row pearl choker necklace with the round diamond clasp and her diamond and pearl drop earrings—and a gem-set badge from her Canadian Armed Forces regiment, the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada.
Camilla has been the Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment since 2011, when as Duchess of Cornwall she was appointed to the post by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Previous colonels-in-chief of the regiment include Queen Mary and Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy. In the decade plus since her appointment, Camilla has worn a sparkling bejeweled brooch in the shape of the regiment’s badge on numerous occasions. One of the earliest was a visit with the regiment in Toronto in May 2012, which was part of the Diamond Jubilee tour of Canada.
During that visit, Camilla unveiled an official portrait of herself as Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment. In the picture, she also wears the regimental brooch. During the visit, she delivered remarks, and the conclusion of her speech emphasized her pride in her new role: “As the daughter of a highly-decorated World War II hero, the great-great-great granddaughter of a Canadian Prime Minister, Sir Allan McNab, and Royal Colonel of 4 Rifles, a British regiment closely allied to your own, I feel very much a part of your regimental family, so please remember how much my association with you all, as your Colonel-in-Chief, means to me, and what interest, concern and pride I have in all you do.”
Camilla has continued to wear the regimental brooch on relevant occasions throughout the years. When she toured the Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Centre in Ontario in June 2017, the brooch was pinned to her blush-colored coat. It sparkled as she greeted soldiers from the regiment and their families.
More recently, we saw her wear the brooch at Buckingham Palace just a few months after her husband’s accession to the throne. It shone on her dress as she accepted the Canadian Forces’ Decoration during a palace reception.
After the Opening of Parliament, the King and Queen laid wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the nearby National War Memorial. The event was the conclusion of a short, but extremely significant, royal visit.
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