News Desk: Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will celebrate her 75th birthday Sunday, marking the occasion with a small family dinner at Prince Charles’ Highgrove estate in southwest England.
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.
The milestone birthday comes at a time when the monarchy, and Camilla’s place in it, are in a generational transition. As the 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth II 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, Queen Elizabeth II expressed her “sincere wish” that Camilla would be known as “Queen Consort” when her son succeeds her. With those words, 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’ first wife.
Camilla alluded to her approach to royal life earlier this week during a champagne reception and sea bass lunch sponsored by The Oldie magazine, which honored her birthday.
In a nod to the magazine’s target audience, the duchess noted that she was born in 1947, the same year that Elizabeth married her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. She paid tribute to him, and pledged to emulate his example.
