Camilla in Paris

The Duchess of Cornwall has spent the past two days in Paris, France, in what was her first official solo overseas visit.

Arriving on May 27th on the Eurostar from London, the Duchess undertook the visit as part of her patronage of Emmaus UK, which helps homeless people rebuild their lives. The Duchess, who has been patron of the organisation since 2006, was accompanied by several staff members of Emmaus, and visited two Emmaus communities within Paris.

During her visit to the Emmaus community in Bougival, Camilla delivered a speech in French. Speaking of her speech beforehand, the Duchess said that she had not spoken French since she was a teenager and that it was “slighty rusty”. According to members of the audience though, Camilla’s French was quite good – albeit with very English pronunciation. Watch the Duchess’s speech here. During the visit to the community, the Duchess also took the time to browse their second-hand stores, which sell goods which have been repaired and cleaned by the community members.

That evening, the Duchess attended a reception and dinner at the British Embassy hosted by the Sir Peter Ricketts, the British Ambassador. The reception was also attended by Britons who live in France, including chef Rachel Khoo and World War II veterans.

On May 28th, Camilla viewed an equestrian display at the Garde Républicaine. This was undertaken as part of her patronage of the British Equestrian Foundation. The Duchess inspected an honour guard, and also spoke with people who were taking part in the upcoming Big Battlefield Bikeride at Les Invalides to raise funds for Help For Heroes.

In the afternoon, before heading back to London, the Duchess visited the Louvre, a local market and the Dior headquarters workshop.

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Equestrian, France, Patronage, The Duchess of Cornwall, Working Visit.

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