News
The Duchess of Cornwall celebrates 25 years of the National Osteoporosis Society
8th June 2011
The Duchess of Cornwall celebrated 25 years of the National Osteoporosis Society in the gardens of Clarence House today.
Chatting to charity ambassadors and celebrity supporters, Her Royal Highness spoke of her pride in being President of the organisation.
A host of celebrities including Dame Shirley Bassey, Felicity Kendall, Twiggy, Jeremy Paxman, Craig Revel-Horwood, Richard E Grant, Jerry Hall and Cilla Black joined The Duchess for the anniversary reception.
Twiggy, who put her arm around The Duchess for a photo, said later: "It's a very important charity. It can affect everybody."
The Duchess's mother and grandmother both died from osteoporosis, also known as brittle bone disease. First Patron, she became President of the Society in 2001.
Cilla Black, whose mother also suffered from the condition, said: "Because my mother died I'm prone so I do have checks and I keep an eye on it and exercise helps.
"The latest tests said I had the bones of a 35-year-old and I'm not giving them back."
She added: "It's such a very debilitating disease. My mother's heart was strong and her eyes bright but she had to be fed intravenously."
The Duchess spoke of her own desire to find out more about osteoporosis when her mother Rosalind fell ill.
"My family and I like many others were totally ignorant of the facts that lay behind the agony that my mother bore so bravely.
"Why did her bones break so easily and why did she shrink so fast?
"I needed to know the answers and this quest led me to a small but perfectly formed charity called the National Osteoporosis Society."
She said she hoped the organisation's tireless work would help find a cure for the disease over the next 25 years.
Her Royal Highness also presented The Duchess of Cornwall Award for outstanding contribution to the field of osteoporosis to actress Susan Hampshire, telling her: "You're a real star."