Following in Queen Elizabeth’s Footsteps—Camilla Takes Center Stage at the Royal Academy of Dance
Queen Camilla kicked off the week after Balmoral vacation visiting the Royal Academy of Dance, continuing her mother-in-law's legacy.
King Charles and Queen Camilla recently stepped out of the limelight for a getaway at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. They were accompanied by various other members of the Royal family, including Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie, Prince William, Princess Kate, and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. They were relaxing and spending some quality family time together. Now back from Scotland, the Royal Family is set to resume their official duties.
In fact, the Palace has announced that Charles and Camilla will be undertaking an autumn tour at the end of October, visiting the Bahamas, Guyana, and Antigua and Barbuda. However, they have already commenced their duties this week, with the Queen visiting the Royal Academy of Dance, which was established in 1920. The RAD is one of the world's leading dance education and training organizations, boasting members in over 80 countries and more than 400,000 students across the UK and beyond. Camilla visited to highlight the Academy’s extensive charitable work and commitment to public benefit.
This included programs such as ballet for those over 55, extra dance classes for secondary school students, movement classes for children with special educational needs, exercise and jazz dance courses for those over 55, and, of course, their highly commendable ballet programme for the cancer community. Furthermore, Camilla continued Queen Elizabeth’s legacy by handing out the 2026 Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award to director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon for his outstanding services to the art of ballet. The Queen was all smiles as she met with the instructors and dancers at the academy.
After all, she serves as patron of the RAD, following in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II, who loved ballet and held the role from 1953 onward. Later in the day, the King and Queen visited the British Museum for a special viewing of the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition. They were joined by French President Emmanuel Macron and Mrs. Brigitte Macron, Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and Ms. Marie-France Van-Heel for the occasion. According to official announcements, the Bayeux Tapestry has been loaned to the U.K. by France for the first time since its creation nearly 1,000 years ago, making this exhibition all the more historic. It is safe to say it was an exceptionally busy day for the Queen!
