Queen Consort Camilla Says She’s “Too Old” to Go Horse Riding Anymore

As with the rest of the Royal Family, Camilla, Queen Consort, has many hobbies in her life that she’s passionate about. After Queen Elizabeth’s passing, she became responsible for the royal stables, and reportedly always finds peace in her Highgrove House garden.

However, with Camilla approaching 76, one of her favorite hobbies is now sadly beyond her capabilities. The Queen Consort’s love for horses will never fade away, but she’s reportedly ridden on one for the last time.

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The coronation of King Charles and Camilla is now just about a month away. Preparations for the big day have been ongoing for months, and weeks ago, plans for the historic event were leaked. They included details about the roles Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will play, as well as various other aspects of the day’s schedule.

Naturally, exactly how the Coronation will unfold remains to be seen.

There’s been plenty of discussion regarding whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be in attendance or not, while speculation regarding Camilla’s outfit – her crown in particular – has also been a hot topic.

In February, Buckingham Palace announced that Camilla would be crowned with Queen Mary’s Crown on May 6. It is set with 2,200 diamonds and was worn by Queen Mary for the coronation alongside her husband, King George V, in 1911.

The crown will be altered for the upcoming coronation and is set to honor the late Queen Elizabeth – the headpiece will be replaced with diamonds Cullinan III, IV, and V, all from the late monarch’s personal jewelry collection. Queen Elizabeth often wore them as brooches, as reported by People.

In the past, a new crown was commissioned anytime a Queen Consort was to be crowned. In fact, this will be the first time in recent history that an existing crown will be used, with the Palace stating it is “in the interests of sustainability and efficiency.”

Camilla’s coronation crown

It was previously suggested that Camilla might wear the Koh-i Nûr diamond, one of the largest cut diamonds in the world, in her crown. The Queen mother’s crown for her 1937 coronation featured the diamond.

The diamond came into British possession in 1849 when the East India Company took it from a 10-year-old boy named Maharaja Duleep Singh, a ruler of the Sikh Empire. It was surrendered to Queen Victoria as a part of their peace treaty. However, historians have suggested that the diamond is only a symbol of conquest, and India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan have claimed ownership of it.

“The coronation of Camilla and the use of the crown jewel Koh-i-Nûr brings back painful memories of the colonial past,” a source from the Bharatiya Janata Party in India told The Telegraph last year.

“Most Indians have very little memory of the oppressive past. Five to six generations of Indians suffered under multiple foreign rules for over five centuries. The coronation of the new Queen Camilla and the use of the Koh-i-Nûr do transport a few Indians back to the days of the British Empire in India,” the source added.

Just like King Charles, Camilla will also have a traditional scepter (the same one has been used by queen consorts for over 300 years).

The scepter is made of ivory, which may cause an issue in Camilla’s case. Prince William is among those to have campaigned at length about the ivory trade – the illegal hunting of elephants for their ivory tusks. Alongside his wife, Princess Kate, the Prince has a significant interest in preserving wildlife and has repeatedly demanded that the ivory trade be stopped.