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Queen Elizabeth: Two Times England's Monarch Has Visited Nigeria

• Queen Elizabeth II (96 years) has been to Nigeria only two times after she was crowned England's monarch in 1953
• The first time the then-young queen visited Nigeria was in 1956 three years after she ascended the throne
• After this, Queen Elizabeth was in the west African country in 2003 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

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Queen Elizabeth who is currently under close medical supervision in Balmoral, United Kingdom (UK), on doctors' orders, has visited Nigeria only twice.

There is approximately a time frame of 53 years between both visits to Nigeria by the monarch.

Queen Elizabeth's 1st visit: 28 January - 16 February 1956

About three years after she was coronated as the monarch of England (1953), Queen Elizabeth toured parts of the British empire and the commonwealth, a feat her predecessors never achieved.

Full list: 15 prime ministers who served during Queen Elizabeth II's reign

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One of the destinations of her overseas visits was Nigeria (from 28 January to 16 February 1956).

At the time, Queen Elizabeth stopped off to inspect the soldiers of the Nigeria Regiment. In her honour, the force was renamed the Queen's Own Nigeria Regiment after the visit.

It is recorded that the queen was welcomed by federal dignitaries which included the Minister for Labour and Welfare at the time, Festus Okotie-Eboh, and Governor-General Sir James Robertson.

She was driven around in a Rolls Royce in Lagos amid fun fare and royal services.

Elizabeth was said to have spent more time in the Northern part of the country (Kano and Kaduna). But she also visited Jos and Enugu .

Queen Elizabeth's second visit to Nigeria: 3–6 December 2003

Hours before Queen's death, double rainbow appears at Buckingham Palace, many get emotional

The next the queen came to Nigeria was majorly for the 2003 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Abuja where she was hosted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo .

The queen made it clear that her visit was in recognition of the value Britain attached to its relations with Nigeria as well as the country’s place in the global space.

She opened the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Abuja on Friday, 5th December. The Duke of Edinburgh was also in attendance.

Queen Elizabeth’s security breached after intruder disguised As priest manages to enter palace

An unidentified man landed himself in hot water after he disguised as a priest to enter Queen Elizabeth's, Windsor Castle.

According to reports, the man told security personnel at the royal residence that he was friends with the chaplain at the army barracks.

5 key changes bound to happen in United Kingdom following Queen Elizabeth II's death

Upon admission into the palace, the intruder was offered a bed and something to eat.

After enjoying his meal, he is reported to have had a chat with the royal guards telling them his life history.

Source: Legit.ng

When Queen Elizabeth II Visited Nigeria

By Toyosi Onabanjo

Queen Elizabeth II’s death on 8 September has occasioned many tributes but also many Twitter jokes, some of them about the late Queen’s cherished Pembroke Welsh corgis. Being a former Queen of Nigeria, it is expected that Nigerians have an opinion about the monarch who passed away aged 96 at the Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Thus far, the reactions have been mixed—many have hailed the Queen, the gospel singer Tope Alabi going as far as making a montage in veneration; some others have tweeted less than salubrious remarks. But at least all can agree that the Queen is one of the most important people in world history.

Born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on 21 April 1926, she ascended the British throne in 1952, following the death of her father and former king, George VII. At only twenty-five years old, she became the queen of seven independent Commonwealth countries: The United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). She was Nigeria’s constitutional monarch from 1960 until 1 October 1963 when Nigeria became a republic.

At the time of succeeding her father, the British Empire was on the cusp of its demise and many former British colonies were clamoring for independence, with Ghana attaining it in 1957 and Somalia and Nigeria both attaining theirs in 1960.

Elizabeth was crowned in 1953, a year after her father’s passing. As queen, one of her ceremonial duties included visiting the British colonies, to which Nigeria belonged. She visited Nigeria twice—in 1956 when Nigeria was a British colony and in 2003 when Nigeria was already a sovereign nation.

First Visit

Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Nigeria in 1956 happened three years after ascending the British throne. She landed in Nigeria’s former capital, Lagos, along with her entourage, among whom was her late husband, Philip Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh. She was received by thousands at the airport. In that number was the then Governor-General of Nigeria, James Robertson; Festus Okotie-Eboh; and the then-Oba of Lagos, Adenji-Adele II . A twenty-eight-year-old Elizabeth wore a pink floral dress, a brimmed hat, and a pair of white opera gloves to match a white handbag. She was a picture of youth and royalty.

She spent twenty days in Nigeria, from 28 January to 16 February. In her husband’s company, she toured the country, visiting Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, among others.

She worshipped at the Cathedral Church of Christ in Marina, Lagos, an Anglican church founded by Reverend Samuel Ajayi Crowther and which during the Queen’s visit was under the provost Reverend A.W. Howells. During her visit, the Queen donated a chair to the cathedral.

While in Nigeria, the Queen commissioned the Nigerian painter and sculptor Ben Enwonwu to make a bronze sculpture of herself. The next year, she posed in London as Enwonwu banged metal against his imagination in order to bring an outsized version of the Queen to life. The sculpture was completed in 1957, and in November of the same year was presented at the Royal Society of British Artists exhibition in London.  

Second Visit

The second time Queen Elizabeth visited Nigeria, she was 76 years old. She retained the brimmed hat, but this time it nested wreaths of grey hair. The flower of youth had withered, but the royal grace endured. 

This time the Queen visited Abuja and was hosted by then-President Olusegun Obasanjo. She was in the country to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting—the 18th of its kind—that had representatives from 51 Commonwealth countries in attendance. 3 Commonwealth nations were not in attendance—the suspended Zimbabwe and Pakistan who were not invited, and Antigua and Barbuda who were not suspended but sent no representative.

The meeting garnered great media attention at the time. Discussed in the meeting was Zimbabwe’s controversial suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations. There was also a dispute over the re-election of the New Zealander Don McKinnon as Secretary General. 

The Queen was in Nigeria from December 3rd to December 6th.

In spite of the controversies that have tailed her public life and some negative remarks that have tailed her demise, the Queen leaves behind a rich legacy. Having reigned for 70 years and 214 days, Queen Elizabeth II was the longest-serving British monarch and the longest recorded of any female head of state. She was the second longest-reigning monarch in world history, only behind France’s Louis XXIV. Her death itself is symbolic. Having lived nearly a century, in which time she lived through major global political and cultural changes, her demise in many ways epitomizes the end of an era. Or two eras. Or three.

Queen Elizabeth II is succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III. 

Toyosi Onabanjo is a freelance technical and entertainment writer who lives in Lagos.

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Here's why Elizabeth was officially titled 'Queen of Nigeria'

The late Queen Elizabeth was officially designated as the Queen of Nigeria, here's the event that led to that title.

The world is currently mourning the demise of one of the most influential persons to ever walked the earth, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

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The 96-year-old monarch breathed her last on Thursday, September 8, 2022, after spending 70 years on the throne.

The deceased was the world's longest reigning monarch after the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand in 2016.

Elizabeth was an iconic monarch whose era witnessed the liberation of many countries from the grip of British colonisation to independence.

As Nigerians join Britain to mourn the Queen's passing, Pulse recalls a time when Elizabeth held the title of 'Queen of Nigeria' and the event that led to that title.

Nigeria's Independence: One of the sweetest memories the Elizabeth era brought to Nigerians was the nation's independence in 1960. Prior to that time, the colony and protectorate of Nigeria were being run by the British Empire which had Queen Elizabeth as the head.

On October 1, 1954, the British Empire designated the Federation of Nigeria, but it remained a quasi-federal British colony until it gained independence within the Commonwealth of Nations on October 1, 1960.

Nigeria's independence was pronounced by the Parliament of the United Kingdom's Nigeria Independence Act 1960. By this virtue, Nigeria was one of the realms of the Commonwealth that shared the same person as Sovereign and Head of State.

This implied that, even though Nigeria had been presented with the Freedom Charter in 1960, the British retained a significant influence in the nation's administration, which cuts across law-making and other important decisions.

Queen of Nigeria: As prescribed in the Nigeria Independence Act 1960, no British government minister could advise the sovereign on any matters pertaining to Nigeria, meaning the monarch only took advice solely from Nigerian Ministers.

On the advice of the then Prime Minister, Tafawa-Balewa , Queen Elizabeth appointed Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe , as President of the Nigerian senate and Governor-General and the latter represented Her Majesty in the Federation.

The monarch, the Senate, and the House of Representatives constituted the Parliament of Nigeria but all executive powers of Nigeria rested with the sovereign. All Nigerian bills required Royal assent which would be sought by the Governor-General.

The monarch held her sovereignty in virtue of her "Nigerian Crown", and acted on the advice of the Nigerian Government, which makes her the 'Queen of Nigeria.'

The change: The government of Nigeria was officially known as Her Majesty's Government. The system became so unpopular among Nigerians that all the political parties advocated for a change and agreed that the country should be a republic.

Elizabeth ceased to be the 'Queen of Nigeria' on October 1, 1963, when the Federation of Nigeria became the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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A letter published in the Daily Times of Nigeria by the Nigerian military’s Director of Defence Information Brigadier Tukur Gusau shares details of the visit. “During their stay in the country, they will be meeting with Service members and will be hosted to arrays of cultural activities,” the letter reads. “The visit is to consolidate Nigeria strong hold at the game and the possibility of hosting the event later years,” it reads regarding the Invictus Games.

When Meghan shared the results of her genealogy test on her podcast she said, “I'm going to start to dig deeper into all this because anybody that I've told, especially Nigerian women, are like What !” Ahead of the Invictus Games in Düsseldorf last September, Prince Harry said that Meghan would be cheering on Nigeria. “I’m not saying we play favorites in my home, but since my wife discovered that she is of Nigerian descent it’s likely to get a little bit more competitive this year,” he said.

The exact locations and dates of the upcoming trip have not yet been made public. However it is thought to be happening on the heels of Harry’s visit to London to take part in a Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul’s Cathedral to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.

Nigeria is a Commonwealth country, having joined the Commonwealth after gaining independence from the British Empire in 1960. Princess Alexandra, Queen Elizabeth’s cousin, represented her at the independence ceremony in Lagos. King Charles is the current head of the Commonwealth, now made up of 56 countries, most but not all of which were formerly under British rule. The role of the head of the Commonwealth is not hereditary but Charles was voted in to succeed Queen Elizabeth as its head in a vote which took place in 2018 in Windsor after she had expressed her wish that he succeed her.

The last royal visit to Nigeria was by then Prince Charles and Camilla in 2018. He was forced to pull out of one part of the visit due to security concerns over clashes in the area.

Town & Country Contributing Editor Victoria Murphy has reported on the British Royal Family since 2010. She has interviewed Prince Harry and has travelled the world covering several royal tours. She is a frequent contributor to Good Morning America. Victoria authored Town & Country book The Queen: A Life in Pictures , released in 2021. 

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Saturday 10 September 2022

Queen elizabeth’s visit to nigeria: history & details.

An important part of the history of Nigeria is her colonial story. Under colonialism and under the administration of Britain, the Queen (Queen Elizabeth) was the highest monarchical authority who was in control of government affairs. She carried out ceremonial functions in her position as head of state in the colonised Nigeria. She was also the monarch of the other common wealth realms, including the United Kingdom.

Even when Nigeria gained her independence in 1960, the Queen still held a high and important status in Nigeria. Queen Elizabeth was Queen of Nigeria from 1960-1963, the time between the nation’s independence and when she became a republic. You can see now the reasons her visits to Nigeria were always with such great fuss.

During her reign as head of state and Queen of Nigeria, Queen Elizabeth visited Nigeria twice.

The first time was in 1956, from the 28th of January to the 16th of February, 1956. At the airport, she was welcomed by federal dignitaries which included the Minister for Labour and Welfare at the time, Festus Okotie-Eboh and Governor-General Sir James Robertson. She was driven around in a Rolls Royce in the country’s capital, Lagos with lots of fun fare and royal services. She spent time in the Northern part of the country with the Sultan where she visited Kano and Kaduna. She also visited Jos and Enugu. The second time was when she attended the Common wealth Heads of Government meeting which was held between the 3rd to the 6th of December, 2003.

The 2003 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting was the eighteenth meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Abuja, Nigeria and hosted by the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo.

During the meeting, the Zimbabwean issue was dominant. This was the dispute over Zimbabwe’s suspension which led to another dispute over the re-election of Secretary-General Don McKinnon. Before the end of the meeting, Robert Mugabe’s announced that Zimbabwe was withdrawing from the Commonwealth.

This best explains the need for the presence of the Queen at the meeting. In a letter addressed towards the Nigerian President at the time, the Queen explained that her visit was a demonstration of the value Britain attached to its relations with Nigeria and recognition of the country’s role on the international stage. Queen Elizabeth opened the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Abuja on Friday, 5th December. Herself and the Duke of Edinburgh (often referred to as Her Majesty and His Royal Highness respectively) also attended other events during the Meeting.

During the Queen’s first visit in 1956, she went on a tour, known as the Queen’s 1956 Tour of Nigeria and the following incidents took place:

- Queen Arrives In Lagos (1956)

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip received welcome in the Nigerian capital, Lagos at the very start of the Royal tour.

- Inauguration Of New Federal Courts (1956)

The Queen attended the inauguration of the new federal courts in Nigeria.

- The Queen was at the Durbar also known as the Royal Durbar (1956)

At Kaduna, the then capital of Northern Nigeria, Queen attended a Royal Durbar

- Queen Elizabeth And Duke Philip Visited Jos – Tin Mines (1956)

Nigerian tribal canoes held a regatta for the Queen at Port Harcourt on the Ronny River after which she visited a Leper colony.

- Queen went on a tour in Enugu, Nigeria (1956)

When on the Royal tour, The Queen went on a visit to children’s rally and a tribal dancing at Enugu, Nigeria.

In Lagos, Queen Elizabeth attended a garden party and a formal session of the Federation Parliament.

- The life of Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth became queen following her father’s death in 1952. She was 25 years old at the time and became the queen regent of seven independent Commonwealth countries which were the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (later renamed Sri Lanka). Many of the colonial realms, to include Nigeria gained independence during the course of her reign. As of the year, 2018, Queen Elizabeth II has been ruling England for 66years and is currently the longest-reigning British monarch in history.

- The role of Queen Elizabeth in colonial Nigeria

British influence in Nigeria began with the prohibition of the slave trade to British subjects in 1807. In 1861, Britain incorporated Lagos and in 1884, the Oil River Protectorate was established.  It was at the Berlin’s conference of 1885 that other European powers acknowledged Britain’s dominance over the Niger area.

From 1886 to 1899, much of the Niger area was ruled by the Royal Niger Company, authorized by charter, and governed by George Taubman Goldie. On 1 January 1900, the Royal Niger Company transferred its territories to the British government for the sum of £865,000; the Southern Nigeria Protectorate and Northern Nigeria Protectorate were then passed from the Royal Niger Company to the Crown. The constitutions after the world war were progressive and allowed for increased representation and electoral government by Nigerians. The colonial period in Nigeria was precisely from 1900 to 1960, after which Nigeria gained its independence.

Queen Elizabeth II was Queen of Nigeria forms 1960- 1963: Nigeria was an independent constitutional monarchy. She was also the monarch of the other commonwealth nations such as the United Kingdom.

Nigeria became independent on 1 October 1960 by a British Act of Parliament. Nnamdi Azikiwe was installed as Governor-General of the federation and Tafawa Balewa continued to serve as head of a democratically elected parliamentary. The Queen was head of state in Nigeria, though her constitutional roles were mostly delegated to the Governor-General of Nigeria. The Governor-General represented the British monarch as head of state and was appointed by the Crown on the advice of the Nigerian prime minister in consultation with the premiers of the regions. The Governor-General was also responsible for appointing the prime minister and for choosing a candidate when there was no parliamentary majority. Other than this, the Governor-General’s office was essentially ceremonial.

The retention of the monarchy was not accepted by all and the political parties in Nigeria at the time agreed that the country should be a republic.

Nigeria adopted the President of Nigeria as head of state, on 1 October 1963 and hence, severed its relationship with the British monarchy.

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11 photos showing queen elizabeth ii’s visits to nigeria.

The death of Queen Elizabeth II , the queen of England, has continued to generate a lot of wide-ranging reactions , more than any death I think the world has seen for some time.

Mourners from former British colonies, including our Naija presido, Muhammadu Buhari, have sent their condolences to the royal family following the monarch’s demise.

However, some people from Black and Irish backgrounds have distanced themselves from any condolences, saying the late queen ruled over an empire built on colonialism.

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A lot has been written and said about Queen Elizabeth; her life, marriage, tenure as the longest serving monarch in British history, etc. But do you know that her shoes also walked on Nigerian soil? Yep! The queen visited Nigeria, not once, but TWICE!

The first time was in 1956, when she visited as part of her royal tour to Commonwealth countries, from January 28 to February 16. During this period, she still had monarchical authority as the Head of State of Nigeria, since the country had not yet gained independence , and she was officially called the Queen of Nigeria.

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Her arrival, as expected, was full of fanfare; it was the queen, after all, and she was greeted by many dignitaries at the airport in Lagos, Nigeria’s former capital. Some of the people who met her included Festus Okotie-Eboh, the Minister of Labour and Welfare, and Sir James Robertson, the Governor-General, along with many government and traditional heads.

Queen Elizabeth, during this visit, went on a royal tour of Lagos and many other places, including the North, where she visited the Sultan of Sokoto. She also visited Enugu, Jos, Kano and Kaduna.

The picture above shows Her Majesty The Queen being presented a bouquet of flowers by Folashade Lawson, the 4-year-old daughter of Chief Adeyemi Lawson, who was the Chairman of the Lagos Town Council at the time.

This shows Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip waving from an open Land Rover to a crowd of schoolchildren at a rally held at a racecourse in Ibadan, Nigeria, on 15th February 1956.

ALSO READ : Naira Marley gets new tattoo in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II also toured a children’s rally on the Kaduna Racecourse with Makaman Bida, (left), who pointed out wooden figures to Her Majesty, and the Sardauna of Sokoto (right) during the Royal visit to Nigeria on 3 February 1956.

The second time that Queen Elizabeth II visited Nigeria was in 2003 during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which took place from 3 – 6 December.

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Nigeria’s then-president, Olusegun Obasanjo , hosted the event in Abuja, where the queen came with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The crisis in Zimbabwe over Secretary-General Don McKinnon’s re-election was the conflict during the Commonwealth meeting. Just before the gathering ended, Robert Mugabe declared that Zimbabwe was leaving the Commonwealth.

The Queen in a carriage during the Nigerian State Visit with former President Ibrahim Babangida.

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Meghan Markle confirms trip to Nigeria with husband Harry after his return to London

The duke and duchess of sussex are heading to africa again.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are planning to travel to Nigeria next month, next month, HELLO!  understands. 

The Prince is set to return to London on 8 May, when he will attend the Invictus Games service at St Paul's Cathedral. 

While it's not known if Meghan and the couple's children, Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two , will accompany him, the Duchess will join her husband as he heads to the African country . 

The couple are understood to have been invited by the Chief of Defence Staff, the highest-ranking military official in Nigeria, who Harry previously met at the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf last September. 

HELLO!  understands that their during upcoming trip to Nigeria the Duke and Duchess will visit various organisations, wth exact details made available at a later date. The surprise trip was arranged after the Chief of Staff extended an invitation to the couple and everyone is incredibly excited about the upcoming visit. 

During last year’s Invictus Games, Meghan spent a lot of time bonding with the Nigerian team , who even gave her her own Nigerian name.

The country holds a special place in Meghan's heart as the mum-of-two has Nigerian heritage , she revealed on her former podcast, Archetypes .

Talking with celebrity interviewer Ziwe, the royal said: "I just had my genealogy done a couple years ago… [and I'm] Forty-three percent Nigerian."

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Meghan went on: "I'm going to start to dig deeper into all this because anybody that I've told, especially Nigerian women, are like 'What!'" 

On Sunday, more details of the Prince's schedule in London were revealed. in a post shared by the Invictus Games' official Instagram account on Sunday, it has been revealed that actor Damian Lewis will also be in attendance at the thanksgiving service to celebrate ten years of the event.

Alongside a throwback image of Prince Harry, 39, cheering on a competitor, the Invictus Games' social media team penned: "The Invictus Games Foundation will celebrate 10 years of changing lives and saving lives with a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on May 8th." 

It continued: "We will be joined by our Patron, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, actor Damian Lewis and members of the worldwide Invictus Community  to mark the occasion." 

An official statement also revealed that Harry will give a reading while actor Damian, best known for starring in Homeland  and Band of Brothers , will recite the poem 'Invictus'. 

Also attending will be representatives from across the Invictus Games participating nations, including members of the wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veteran community. 

Meanwhile, members of the community, supporters, and beneficiaries have been selected to provide readings as part of the Service, led by The Very Reverend Andrew Tremlett, Dean of St Paul's. 

What is the Invictus Games?

Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games to aid the rehabilitation of injured and sick military personnel and veterans across the globe, by giving them the challenge of competing in sporting events similar to the Paralympics. 

When did Prince Harry last visit the UK?

May's event will see the Prince return to the UK for the first time since flying over to see his father King Charles following his cancer diagnosis in February. 

Upon arrival, Harry was driven straight to Clarence House, where he stayed for 45 minutes, spending time with his father, who had delayed his own journey to Sandringham to see his younger son. 

The short reunion was the first meaningful time father and son had spent together since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.

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Imperial couple to visit Britain in June in first trip to country since '22

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are making preparations to visit Britain as state guests in late June, the Imperial Household Agency said Saturday.

The upcoming visit will be the second full overseas visit by the couple since the Emperor's accession to the throne in 2019, after their trip to Indonesia last year.

The emperor and the empress were slated to visit Britain in 2020 at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II, but that was postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this year, King Charles III invited the couple again to Britain, according to the agency.

During the one-week visit, the emperor and the empress are scheduled to attend a welcoming event and banquet at Buckingham Palace, people familiar with the matter said. They are also expected to visit the University of Oxford, where they studied, and inspect River Thames transportation, which the emperor has researched.

The imperial family and the British royal family have a close relationship. When Emperor Emeritus Akihito, father of the current emperor, was crown prince, he attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of then-Emperor Hirohito, father of the emperor emeritus and posthumously known as Emperor Showa.

Emperor Showa and his wife, Empress Kojun, visited Britain as state guests in 1971, while Akihito and Empress Michiko were invited were invited to Britain as state guests in 1998.

When King Charles III was the prince of Wales, he attended the accession ceremonies for Akihito and also for Emperor Naruhito.

The upcoming trip by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will be the third state visit to Britain since the coronation of the king, after state guests from South Africa and South Korea.

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Queen Camilla Smiles on Outing After King Charles Announces Return to Royal Work amid His Cancer Diagnosis

The Queen stepped out solo to welcome the all-female crew that won the Ocean Globe Race after some encouraging health news about her husband was revealed

Janine Henni is a Royals Staff Writer for PEOPLE Digital, covering modern monarchies and the world's most famous families. Like Queen Elizabeth, she loves horses and a great tiara moment.

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Queen Camilla has lots to smile about.

While Prince William and Kate Middleton marked their 13th wedding anniversary on April 29, the Queen hosted the Maiden yacht crew at Clarence House to celebrate their significant win in the Ocean Globe Race.

The Maiden team became the first ever all-female crew to win an around-the-world yacht race on April 16 when they crossed the finish line in Cowes, England, 153 days after departing in September 2023. Making more history, the groundbreaking crew is also understood to be the most diverse professional sailing crew to ever sail the world. 

"Hailing from the U.K., Antigua, U.S.A., South Africa, Puerto Rico, Italy, France and Afghanistan, the crew includes the first black female crew and the first Middle Eastern female crew to race around the world — helping to reflect and celebrate the people, traditions, values and beliefs of the cultures on their 28,000-mile marathon around the world," a statement said. 

Queen Camilla, 76, appeared in good spirits at the reception, held at the London home she shares with King Charles .

The event marked the Queen’s first solo engagement after Buckingham Palace announced on April 26 that the King, 75, is returning to public-facing royal duties after announcing his cancer diagnosis in February.

According to the palace, the King’s first public-facing engagement will be a visit to a cancer treatment center to meet medical specialists and patients with Queen Camilla on April 30. It's understood that the center has not been directly involved with the monarch’s medical care.

The stop will be the first of several engagements planned for King Charles in the weeks ahead, including hosting a state visit at Buckingham Palace for the Emperor and Empress of Japan in late June.

A palace spokesperson added that the King’s cancer treatment is ongoing and shared a positive sentiment from his doctors.

"His Majesty’s treatment program will continue, but doctors are sufficiently pleased with the progress made so far that The King is now able to resume a number of public-facing duties. Forthcoming engagements will be adapted where necessary to minimize any risks to His Majesty’s continued recovery," a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said on April 30. 

"His Majesty is greatly encouraged to be resuming some public-facing duties and very grateful to his medical team for their continued care and expertise," they added.

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King Charles and Queen Camilla have been photographed attending church together since his cancer diagnosis, which was announced on Feb. 5, including the traditional Easter Mattins Service at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on March 31. There, the royal couple surprised onlookers with a short walkabout after the church service, where the King told a well-wisher , "I'm doing my best!" after she told him to get well soon. 

The Queen has been a steady presence and continued with a full royal workload while her husband of 19 years has postponed public-facing duties while receiving cancer treatment, and a palace insider previously told PEOPLE how she would be a unique strength to the King during this time. 

"She is his strength and stay like [ Prince Philip ] was for the late Queen [Elizabeth] ," the palace insider said. "She will be great. She will rally him, she will buoy him. She is amazing. She equips him to do the job he has to do."

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At the celebratory Maiden reception, Queen Camilla reconnected with Tracy Edwards MBE. Over 30 years ago, Edwards served as skipper on the 58-foot Maiden yacht in the 1989/90 Whitbread Round the World Race, winning two of six legs and becoming the first all-female crew to participate in an around-the-world yacht race. 

The ship was repurposed in 2018 for a world tour to raise awareness and funds for girls’ education, and the future King Charles and Queen Camilla visited the vessel in London. Edwards showed them around the ship there — and Camilla took the wheel! 

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Before the modern Maiden team set out in September 2023 for a journey of over 27,000 nautical miles, the Queen wished them luck with a personal message. 

"You are all much in my thoughts today, as you cross the start line of the Ocean Globe Race for Maiden ’s final race. I do hope that each one of you is proud to be part of such a special crew, bringing Messages of Hope to girls across the world. I wish you fair winds and following seas!," Queen Camilla said in a statement, signing off with her regnal signature , "Camilla R."

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