Camilla’s cheeky joke that’s a poke at the woke
Am I allowed to call you ladies and gentlemen these days, duchess asks
THE Duchess of Cornwall took an affectionate poke at woke culture yesterday, addressing guests at a lunch in her honour: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, if I am allowed to call you that.’
Camilla appeared to make the light-hearted reference to the debate about gender identity and pronouns at a gathering to celebrate her upcoming 75th birthday.
The remark prompted amused laughter among the audience at the event, which was thrown by The Oldie magazine and hosted by Camilla’s friend, presenter and author Gyles Brandreth.
Clarence House said it was up to others to interpret her remark
‘In keeping with irreverent spirit’
but aides suggested it was in keeping with the ‘irreverent’ spirit of the lunch.
The event at London’s National Liberal Club brought together 120 national ‘treasures’ including Dame Joanna Lumley, Lord Lloyd-Webber, Felicity Kendal, model Twiggy, Sir Trevor McDonald and Lucia Santa Cruz, the Chilean historian who introduced Prince Charles to Camilla in 1971.
In a touching speech, the duchess vowed to follow the late Prince Philip’s example in her approach to royal duties.
The future Queen Consort said: ‘The Duke of Edinburgh’s philosophy was clear: “Look up and look out, say less, do more – and get on with the job”, and that is just what I intend to do.’
She joked: ‘You might not believe it, but I have actually been trying to keep quiet about reaching three quarters of a century – and, as you see, have failed dismally.’ Referring to her year of birth, she said: ‘I know that some of you were around in 1947 – by the way, a vintage year for claret. ‘It was also the year when the first of the Ealing Comedies was released, the school leaving age was raised to 15, Gardeners’ Question Time was first broadcast, the University of Cambridge admitted women to full membership and soft loo paper went on sale for the first time, in Harrods, much to the nation’s relief.
‘It was also in 1947 that the then-Princess Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten ... Both he and Her Majesty have always been the very touchstone of what it truly means to “get on with the job”, and an inspiration to each one of us here to do the same, whatever our age.’
Opera singer Sir Willard White, 75, led guests in a rendition of Happy Birthday before Camilla was surprised with an Earl Grey tea and dark chocolate truffle cake, wheeled in by her son Tom Parker Bowles, 47, and his daughter, Lola, 15.