Although there’s currently a different Olympic Games taking place right now, the Duchess of Cornwall honoured the success of the Team GB Equestrian Team during the Tokyo 2020 Games at a special reception.
Camilla, who has served as patron of the British Equestrian Federation since 2006, welcomed athletes to Clarence House on 8 February. Tokyo marked the most successful games ever for Team GB’s equestrian competitors, bringing home 13 medals in total, including five gold medals, four silver, and four bronze.
Team GB sent 16 athletes, grooms and horses to Tokyo in 2021 for the postponed games, with 12 heading to the Olympics and four to the Paralympics.
Camilla chatted with medal-wearing members of the team, including para-dressage competitors Natasha Baker and Sophie Wells, who were both awarded an OBE during the New Year’s Honours, as well as triple gold medallist in para-dressage Sir Lee Pearson.
She also met gold medalist eventers Oliver Townend, Tom McEwen, and Laura Collett, who all received MBEs during the New Year’s Honours.
The Team GB reception wrapped up a busy day of engagements for the Duchess of Cornwall, who had visited a school and a domestic violence charity in Bath earlier in the day.
This was the first day out for Camilla following The Queen’s extraordinary Platinum Jubilee statement. In the message, she expressed her “sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.”
In response, the Prince of Wales said he and the Duchess of Cornwall were “deeply conscious of the honour represented by my motherās wish,” adding that his “darling wife” had been a great source of support for him as they worked on behalf of The Queen and the British public.
