Camilla pays tribute to Pensioners
THE Duchess of Cornwall paid tribute to Britain’s armed forces past and present as she sympathised with Chelsea Pensioners over the death of colleagues during the coronavirus pandemic.
Camilla attended a special ceremony at the historic London home of the old soldiers after missing their annual Founder’s Day in June due to the health crisis. More than 30 socially distanced Pensioners in their famous scarlet coats and tricorn hats were on parade and inspected by the duchess in the Royal Hospital Chelsea’s central courtyard.
In a speech she said: “I know that you have been through a particularly tough time of late, having lost 10
Pensioners to Covid-19. I should like to express my heartfelt sympathy to the families of those who have died, and to each of you.”
Camilla went on to say that those on parade know “about the challenges and sacrifices of military duty”, adding: “In times of war and times of peace, whether seen or unseen, the armed forces support and strengthen our nation, just as each one of you Chelsea Pensioners did throughout your careers.”
During the ceremony, the duchess spent time talking to all the Pensioners on parade and also chatted to members of the armed forces who have been working as cooks and performing other roles at the retirement and nursing home.