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The Duchess receives an honorary fellowship for her work to raise awareness of osteoporosis and visits her former school

13th September 2007

The Duchess of Cornwall was today made an honorary university fellow for raising awareness of osteoporosis.

During a day in London, Her Royal Highness also visited her former school in South Kensington to open a new building.

Her Royal Highness wore one of King's College's red and navy gowns as she accepted her scroll.

The Duchess of Cornwall became Patron of the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) in 1997 and President in 2001.

Her Royal Highness's mother and grandmother both died as a result of osteoporosis, a crippling bone disease.

Over the years, The Duchess of Cornwall has supported the NOS by fund raising and helping to raise awareness of osteoporosis which affects one in two women and one in five men in the UK.

Her Royal Highness has visited bone units across the country and has met many people with the disease.

The fellowship is the highest honour the College, the fourth oldest university institution in England, can bestow.

The Duchess was dressed in a raw cornflower blue silk jacket and skirt and wearing a
silver brooch, which was a 60th birthday present from the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) in the design of the charity's logo.

The Duchess was given the honorary fellowship in the impressive surrounds of the university's Byzantine-Gothic chapel.

Her Royal Highness was called on to the stage where she stood as her citation was read.

Claire Severgnini, Chief Executive of the NOS, praised The Duchess during her speech for giving her "time and energy again and again and again" for the cause.

She said the fellowship was "richly deserved" and commended Her Royal Highness for going on to help the charity after seeing her mother and grandmother battle the disease.

It is the first time The Duchess has received such a fellowship and she gave a broad smile as she accepted the award from the Chairman of King's College Council Baroness Rawlings.

Other honorary fellows include comedian Rory Bremner, Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank, steel-tycoon Lakshmi Mittal and the Duke of Wellington.

The college's alumni include the poet John Keats, writer Thomas Hardy and the Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu.

Later in the day, The Duchess visited Queen’s Gate School in Kensington, her former school, to open a new school building.

Her Royal Highness met pupils taking part in an English class, where they were reading Animal Farm and told pupils that English had been her favourite subject.

The Duchess met youngsters in the reception class, who were been putting on a puppet show of Little Red Riding Hood.

One of the girls used her Big Bad Wolf finger puppet to give The Duchess an exuberant kiss on the nose.

During her tour of the school The Duchess said she used to play lacrosse and also take dancing lessons.

Her Royal Highness told pupils gathered in the room where the dancing used to take place: "It's very funny to come here because this is where I used to have dance class. I always used to be the man."

She also listened to a rendition of the school song, which has not changed since she was a pupil.

"I shall listen rather than join in," she said, remarking afterwards: "It brought back lots of memories." She told some of the girls they should "work hard and learn a lot".

Unveiling a plaque and cutting a cake to mark the official opening of the juniors' building, The Duchess praised the school for doing a wonderful job.

"I want to thank you very much for asking me here after all these years," she said.

"In fact it's been 45 years since I last put my foot in this school.

"I think you've done a wonderful job here - congratulations to everybody.

"I wish it had been like this in my day. It looks a bit more comfortable. I'm sure it's got a wonderful atmosphere."

The single sex independent day school teaches girls aged from four to 18 and has around 400 pupils.

The Duchess first went to Dumbrells school in Sussex before attending Queen's Gate between 1959 and 1963.  Afterwards she attended Mon Fertile finishing school in Switzerland.

Click here to find out more about The Duchess's charities and patronages.
Click here to visit the National Osteoporosis Society website.