News
The Duchess visits the headquarters of the National Osteoporosis Society in Somerset
19th July 2006
The Duchess of Cornwall today buried a time capsule containing a wish for a decrease in the “devastating disease” osteoporosis as she helped the National Osteoporosis Society celebrate 20 years of helping people with the brittle bone disease.
The Duchess, who has been President of the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) since 2001 and Patron between 1997 and 2001, visited the organisation's headquarters in Camerton near Bath, Somerset.
The NOS works to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year.
The Duchess lost both her mother and grandmother to the disease.
The Duchess's wish was buried in a capsule crammed with messages from sufferers and the charity's supporters in the grounds of the headquarters.
The capsule will be unearthed in 10 years to see how many wishes have come true.
The Duchess's message said: “I hope that there will be a decrease in osteoporosis over the next decade, as more people are made aware of how to prevent and treat this devastating disease in the future.”
Among the messages was one from Prime Minister Tony Blair who said: “I am pleased to be able to add my congratulations to the National Osteoporosis Society on 20 years of service to our nation ... in 10 years time we hope to see yet more advances in prevention and treatment of the disease.”
In a speech, The Duchess recalled her first visit to the society‘s headquarters 12 years ago.
She said: “My mother had just died as a result of osteoporosis and I was determined to find out for myself more about this devastating disease.
“In those days osteoporosis was seldom discussed, rarely diagnosed and usually attributed to the old women with so-called dowagers‘ humps.
“Now, two decades on, with osteoporosis affecting one in two women over 50 and one out of five men, the understanding and the treatment of it have made huge strides.
“DXA scanners are increasing in hospitals all over the country, medical treatments are improving all the time and young people, hopefully, are being made aware at last that having a good diet and the vital job exercise plays in preventing it.
“As you all know we have a long, long way to go, but thanks to the incredible hard work that the NOS staff here put in and the wonderful job the local support groups do, in raising both funds and awareness, that the lives of thousands of people suffering with osteoporosis will be improved.
“I would like to congratulate you all at the NOS on its 20th birthday and for doing such a fantastic job and to say how proud I am to be President of the National Osteoporosis Society.”