It's not easy to find a gift fit for a queen—but King Charles managed to pull it off!
Happy birthday, Queen Camilla! King Charles’s wife turned 78 on July 17, and you’re not going to believe what he got her as a present! Let’s face it, it’s hard to buy a gift for a queen. After all, Camilla already has pretty much everything she could have ever wished for: her dream partner, a shiny title, even shinier jewelry, two children, five grandchildren and a life spent in royal palaces. So Charles really had to up his game to impress her.
And, dare we say, he did a great job! The king managed to find the ultimate gift to celebrate, and if we were in Camilla’s shoes, we’d probably be happily dancing on the table right now … behind closed palace doors of course, so as not to violate any royal etiquette rules.
So how, exactly, did Charles surprise his wife? Read on to find out.
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What was Charles’s birthday surprise to Camilla?
King Charles gave Camilla a new title: Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom, a naval position created by Henry VIII in 1513. And while it’s difficult enough to become the British queen, it’s significantly harder to get this title. According to the Royal Navy, the Camilla is the first woman and only the second member of the royal family in history to ever became vice admiral of the United Kingdom.
It’s surely not a coincidence that Charles chose to surprise Camilla with this new title rather than, let’s say, a more traditional gift (even though he might have gotten her one of those too). According to a royal source, he’s also saving a very special title for Princess Charlotte, his eldest granddaughter.
What does it mean to be vice admiral of the United Kingdom?
There are two types of vice admirals: an operational one and an honorary one. Camilla received the latter title, which is a formal recognition of her continuous support of the Royal Navy rather than an actual job. It also makes her deputy to her husband, who, as king, is lord high admiral, the ceremonial head of the Royal Navy.
While hers is a honorary position, an operational vice admiral of the United Kingdom would be a whole different story: It is the third-highest rank in the Royal Navy and entails training and managing the crew, navigating navy boats and generally being actively involved in defense operations. Obviously, Camilla won’t do any of these tasks. Instead, she’ll focus on continuing to support the Royal Navy in public while also staying in touch with the crew behind the scenes.
Why did he give her this title?
An interesting fact about Queen Camilla you might not have known: She is a long-term supporter of the Royal Navy. So it seems only fitting that Charles, who was a Royal Navy officer himself, chose that very title for her. Not only did Camilla formally name the HMS Astute in 2007, the ship she visited when receiving her title, but she’s also been to the Royal Navy base several times over the years. She’s also “consistently shown a deep commitment to all aspects” of their work, as Commander Christopher Bate, captain of the HMS Astute, said. Bate described her as “a really good supporter since day one,” whose involvement would go way further than just showing up for a friendly chat every now and then.
Two examples: She made sure “a steady supply of tea and biscuits” was sent to the crew when the onboard freezer broke down. And when a submarine crew member died two-and-a-half years ago, she sent personal letters to “the crew and to his parents.” According to Bate, Camilla is “cherished” by the Navy crew and very much considered a part of the team.
When did Charles give her this title?
Camilla formally received the title on July 16, the evening before her birthday, at the HM Naval Base Devonport in Plymouth, the U.K.’s biggest naval base in southwest England. The happy occasion was marked by a 90-minute ceremony, where she received a burgee flag and a special Royal Navy salute. She was also given a joke gift: a clingfilm (plastic wrap) holder with a gold plaque reading, “Clingfilm, keeping nuclear submarines at sea” and “First in class, second to none.”
As Bate later explained, the crew had once used the transparent plastic film to fix a problem with the boat engines; otherwise, they would have needed to go straight back to the port. The plastic wrap is still in place two and a half years later, as “it’s such a big job to change the seals.” As Bate revealed, “Her Majesty found it quite amusing when she found out.” Reportedly, she was delighted by the gift—and, most importantly, she got the joke!
Does this title come with any new powers or perks?
Not really. After all, Camilla received the honorary title of vice admiral, which isn’t an actual job. Holding the title basically means that she’ll get to attend key moments in the boat’s and the crew’s life and receive updates on important activities. Given that she was already close to the Royal Navy, including by acting as a sponsor for the HMS Astute, there won’t be any major changes in practice.
Do any other royals hold the title of vice admiral of the United Kingdom?
No. Camilla is only the second royal in history to hold the honorary title. The first man ever to be appointed vice admiral of the United Kingdom was William FitzWilliam, 1st Earl of Southampton, more than 500 years ago. There have been many other vice admirals over the years, mostly men who held naval positions, and the most recent was Lord Boyce, who had worked in the navy for four decades and died in 2022.
So who was the only other royal to hold this position? Queen Elizabeth II’s husband (and King Charles’s father), Prince Philip. The late queen appointed him as lord high admiral of the Royal Navy in 2011, as a gift to celebrate his 90th birthday.
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Sources:
- The Telegraph: “Queen becomes first female Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom”
- The Times: “Queen Camilla made vice-admiral of navy on birthday visit”
- BBC: “Queen praises children’s hospices on Devon visit”
- Royal Navy: “Historic naval title for Her Majesty The Queen as she visits HMS Astute in Plymouth”
- Royal Navy: “Leadership”
- Forces News: “Vice Admiral of the UK: History of honorary title as Queen Camilla is first woman to hold role”
- Royal.uk: “The Duke of Edinburgh and the Armed Forces”
- Harper’s Bazaar: “What to know about all of Queen Camilla’s children and grandchildren”
