duchess camilla prince philip© Photo: Getty Images

Duchess of Cornwall pays tribute to 'much-missed' father-in-law Prince Philip at glamorous dinner

Camilla was joined by the Countess of Wessex

Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
November 25, 2021

The Duchess of Cornwall paid tribute to her late father-in-law, the Duke of Edinburgh, as she gave a speech at the biennial Rifles Awards dinner in London on Thursday night.

Camilla, 74, took over the role as Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles from Prince Philip in July 2020, with separate ceremonies at Windsor Castle and Highgrove House marking the transfer.

Speaking to guests at London's Guildhall, the Duchess said: "Your Royal Highnesses, Your Excellencies, Riflemen, ladies and gentlemen, it is a huge pleasure to join you all this evening, for the first time as your proud Colonel-in-Chief. 

READ: Duchess Camilla steals the show in stunning black dress and emeralds at the biennial Rifles Awards Dinner

WATCH: Duchess of Cornwall attends a Poetry Together tea party

"It is always a daunting task to take over from a former Colonel-in-Chief, but in my case, to step into the boots of my much-missed, late father-in-law, The Duke of Edinburgh, is quite frankly terrifying! 

"I know it was a role that he cherished and of which he was immensely proud, and it is one of the greatest honours of my life to have followed him into this illustrious role."

© Photo: Getty Images

The Duchess took over as Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles in 2020

The Duke of Edinburgh sadly passed away at the age of 99 in April.

Camilla was joined at the event by other members of the royal family, including the Countess of Wessex, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra.

The Duchess of Cornwall looked elegant in a floor-length black gown with glittering emerald jewellery at the dinner, while the Countess of Wessex wowed in a blue Emilia Wickstead dress, accessorising with a sequin clutch bag.

MORE: Sophie Wessex dazzles in gorgeous blue maxi gown at royal awards dinner

MORE: Kate Middleton joins science lesson at North London school - best photos

© Photo: Getty Images

The Countess of Wessex wowed in a blue Emilia Wickstead gown

The Queen, who carried out a second in-person engagement this week, faced a difficult day last Saturday, as it would have marked her 74th wedding anniversary with Prince Philip.

The monarch, 95, joined family and friends in Windsor on Sunday as she attended the joint christenings of her great-grandsons, August Brooksbank and Lucas Tindall.

Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up to HELLO! Daily for all the latest and best royal coverage

Email Address

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Royalty

See more