During a visit to the newly opened Royal Osteoporosis Society offices, Queen Consort Camilla discussed a topic close to her heart.
The Queen joined a reception with guests to honor the work of the Royal Osteoporosis Society. Her mother died of the disease in 1994 at 71, so charity is very important to her.
Camilla’s grandmother died of the disease in 1986.
In a 2021 interview with Gloria Hunniford for the BBC to commemorate World Osteoporosis Day, the Queen Consort Camilla recalled the most moving memories of her mother’s battle with osteoporosis.
She remembered a friend entering the building to hug her, breaking one of her ribs in the process. That is how bad it was.
Camilla described her late mother, Rosalind Shand’s alleged age-related flaws. “I believe my mother visited almost everyone you could think of, and they all apologized for her age by saying, ‘Sorry, you’re old.’” We just watched her shrivel up in front of us.”
Camilla and her family were also affected by the disease. “It was terrible,” she said. “Because we were unaware of the situation, we wondered at one point, ‘Well, is she making a big deal out of all of this?’”
“Sometimes when she moved, or you touched her, she genuinely screamed,” Camilla continued, indicating how bad her mother’s health was.
Camilla has worked hard since then to raise awareness of the disease and is now a Royal Osteoporosis Society ambassador.
She believes that education is critical. “I believe we all believe we are immortal when we are young, but I would prefer to see more young people educated.”
“I’d like to see more young people understand it rather than simply thinking, ‘Poor old bats, that’s what will happen to us when we get old,’ you know.”
Gloria asked Camilla if she was worried about her family’s future. “I believe my daughter’s generation is receptive,” she said.
“But, you know, they’re turning into teenagers. I’d show photos of my mother before and after she was diagnosed with osteoporosis. I’d make them look at pictures and tell them, ‘Look, that’s what’s going to happen to you if you don’t care.’”
