Queen so greatly missed, says Camilla in first speech as Queen Consort

Camilla, the Queen Consort, has paid tribute to her "greatly missed" mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, successful her archetypal code successful the role.

Speaking astatine a Buckingham Palace reception, the Queen Consort said she and the King had "drawn immense comfort" from messages they received aft the precocious Queen's death.

Her precocious Majesty, Britain's longest-serving monarch, died successful September.

It is the archetypal clip Camilla has spoken publically successful her relation arsenic Queen Consort.

Camilla, who was addressing winners of the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition, said: "I cannot statesman without paying tribute to my beloved mother-in-law, Her precocious Majesty, who is overmuch successful our thoughts contiguous and who is truthful greatly missed by america all.

"Over the past fewer months, my hubby and I person drawn immense comfortableness from the messages of condolence that we person received, and proceed to receive, from the 4 corners of the world.

"They person reminded america that the written connection has a unsocial quality to connect, to heal, to reassure and to connection hope, adjacent successful the midst of grief."

The effort contention has been described arsenic the world's oldest planetary penning contention for schools. This twelvemonth it received much than 26,000 entries, with winners from New Zealand, Australia, India and the United Kingdom.

The Queen Consort besides spoke of the precocious monarch's "enduring emotion of the Commonwealth". The Queen was patron of the Royal Commonwealth Society, which organises the effort competition, since 1952.

"It was connected this date, 17th November, that Queen Elizabeth I came to the throne, successful 1558. She erstwhile said of herself that, portion she was alert of the merits of the monarchs who had preceded her, 'you ne'er had immoderate that volition emotion you better'," she said.

"A statement that mightiness conscionable arsenic good use to Queen Elizabeth II and her enduring emotion for the Commonwealth."

The effort contention sees young radical from the Commonwealth - an relation of 56 countries, astir each of which were erstwhile British colonies - stock their thoughts and experiences connected cardinal planetary issues.

Camilla is known for her emotion of speechmaking and holds much than six patronages related to literature.

She added: "All of america are bound unneurotic by a profound appreciation of the written connection and of our Commonwealth.

"This wonderful, extraordinary, richly divers relation of autarkic and adjacent nations and friends is genuinely ours, belonging to each 1 of america - and the connections betwixt america tally deep."