Camilla is 77

Camilla is 77: Kate & William post special photo

Queen Camilla celebrates her 77th birthday today, Wednesday.(Bild: APA/AFP/POOL/Arthur Edwards)

The British Queen Camilla celebrates her 77th birthday today, Wednesday. To mark the occasion, the palace not only published a photo showing her in a blue dress on a balcony on the Channel Island of Guernsey. Kate and William also congratulated her - with a very special photo.

Prince William and Princess Kate congratulated Camilla on her 77th birthday on Wednesday with the words "We wish Her Majesty a very happy birthday".

Kate snapped Camilla
The Prince and Princess of Wales published a very special photo to accompany their congratulations. The picture was once taken by none other than Kate herself. 

The photo was taken for Camilla's 75th birthday in her garden at her home in Wiltshire and subsequently graced the cover of "Country Life" magazine. It was the Queen herself, who was still Duchess of Cornwall at the time, who expressed her wish to be photographed by her daughter-in-law. 

A day of honor with a sense of duty
The palace also wished Camilla a happy birthday. The photo was taken during the royal couple's trip to the Channel Island of Guernsey, which has special status as a Crown Estate, in recent days. A post on X read: "Wishing the Queen a happy birthday today!"

The picture in the sunshine and against an idyllic backdrop with the sea and rocks in the background almost looks like a vacation photo. However, Camilla had to subordinate her birthday to fulfilling her duties.

The royal couple are expected to attend the King's Speech in the House of Lords on Wednesday. Traditionally, the opening ceremony of the British Parliament is celebrated with great pomp.

Queen Camilla and King Charles on their way to the opening of Parliament in London(Bild: APA/AFP/POOL/Andrew Matthews)

King and Queen arrive in a gilded carriage from Buckingham Palace before Charles reads the government statement by new Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Sprained ankle
Attentive observers had spotted a bandage on the Queen's right ankle during the visit to the Channel Islands. Camilla is reported to have suffered a slight sprain. True to the royals' principle of always keeping a "stiff upper lip" (clench your teeth), however, she didn't let it show.

The Queen, who was once not very popular as Princess Diana's rival, has long since earned a reputation as a pillar of the royal family. When first King Charles and later Princess Kate made cancer public this year, she attended a number of important appointments alone. It was not known how Camilla planned to spend the rest of her birthday. To celebrate the day, cannon salutes were to be fired in London.