‘Greatly missed’: Camilla pays tribute to late mother-in-law Elizabeth II in first speech as Queen Consort

Camilla and King Charles III ‘immensely comforted’ by messages of condolence received from around the world

Camilla has paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II’s “remarkable reign” in her first official speech as Queen Consort.

Camilla said that Queen Elizabeth II was “missed by us all” at a Buckingham Palace reception for winners of the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition on Thursday 17 November.

“I cannot begin without paying tribute to my dear mother-in-law, her late majesty, who is much in our thoughts today and who is so greatly missed by us all,” she began.

“She had been patron of the Royal Commonwealth Society since 1952 and throughout her remarkable reign, its vision to improve the lives and prospects of all Commonwealth citizens remained, as you know, very close to her heart.

“It was on this date, 17 November, that Queen Elizabeth I came to the throne, in 1558. She once said of herself that, while she was aware of the merits of the monarchs who had preceded her, ‘you never had any that will love you better’. A description that might just as well apply to Queen Elizabeth II and her enduring love for the commonwealth.”

She added that she and King Charles III had been reminded of the power of the written word and its “unique ability to connect, to heal, to reassure and to offer hope, even in the midst of grief”.

“Over the past few months, my husband and I have drawn immense comfort from the messages of condolence that we have received, and continue to receive, from the four corners of the world,” she said.

Camilla, who became vice-patron of the society in 2018, added: “All of us are bound together by a profound appreciation of the written word and of our Commonwealth.

“This wonderful, extraordinary, richly diverse association of independent and equal nations, and friends, is, truly, ‘ours’, belonging to each one of us, and the connections between us run deep.”

Ayesha Dharker, Alexandra Burke and Geri Horner during a reception for winners of the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition, at Buckingham Palace on 17 November 2022 (Getty Images)

She finished her speech with a quote by the late South African president Nelson Mandela, who she described as a “great writer”, saying “a winner is a dreamer who never gives up”.

A record-breaking 26,322 children entered the 2022 competition, with the winners and runners-up from New Zealand, Australia, the UK and India.

The senior winner was 17-year-old Sawooly Li from New Zealand. Ms Li said Camilla “was lovely” and had spoken to all the nominees individually, adding that the day had been “an amazing experience”.

Ms Li told the PA news agency: “You see Buckingham Palace on television, but you never expect you would come here yourself.”

The junior winner, Madeleine Wood, 14, who lives in Melbourne, Australia, said Camilla had made all the winners “feel relaxed” before going on stage, adding that the American novelist Donna Tartt was one of her favourite authors.

Extracts from the winning pieces were read by Royal Commonwealth Society ambassadors including Alexandra Burke, Ayesha Dharker, Geri Horner and Ben Okri.

Mr Okri, the 1991 Booker Prize winner, said Camilla had “become our great literary Queen Consort”, before reading out Ms Li’s winning entry, Willow Trees and Waterholes.

Ms Horner, also known as Ginger Spice from the Spice Girls, recommended The Book Thief by Markus Zusak to Camilla, who said she had it on her “reading board” for the Royal Reading Room.

The Queen Consort with Geri Horner during a reception for winners of the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition, at Buckingham Palace (Getty Images)

Camilla also met three previous winners and runners-up from 2020 and 2021, who were not able to attend awards ceremonies due to Covid restrictions.

For 2022, the competition theme was ‘Our Commonwealth’, reflecting on the Queen’s seven decades of service to the Commonwealth.

The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition is the world’s oldest international writing competition for schools.

It was founded in 1883 by the Royal Commonwealth Society to promote literacy, expression and creativity among young people throughout the Commonwealth.