Queen Camilla has described osteoporosis as a “silent thief hiding in plain sight” while marking the 40th anniversary of the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS).
The Queen gathered staff, celebrity supporters, and donors in the gardens of Clarence House to commemorate the milestone.
She expressed optimism that while a cure has not yet been found, “we are well on the way”.
Among the guests were ROS ambassadors Felicity Kendall, Susan Hampshire, Miriam Margolyes, Julien Macdonald, and Gloria Hunniford, alongside other public figures such as Jools Holland and Ross Kemp.
In a speech at the reception, the Queen highlighted the devastating impact of the condition, which weakens bones and makes them more likely to break.
Post-menopausal women are the most at risk of osteoporosis, according to the NHS, but it can also affect men, younger women and children.
“The terrible problem being that osteoporosis is a silent thief hiding in plain sight. It wreaks its havoc deep inside our bodies until, too late, we realise that the damage has been done,” Camilla said.
“Without being aware of it, our bones have lost their density and strength until suddenly, a simple, everyday act – picking up a grandchild, slipping over or even sneezing – turns into a life-altering event as our bones shatter.”
Camilla’s personal connection to the cause runs deep, having lost both her mother, Rosalind, and her grandmother, Sonia, to the crippling bone disease. Rosalind was 72 and Sonia was 86.
The experience led her to become a member of the then-National Osteoporosis Society in 1994, its patron in 1997, and subsequently its president in 2001.
On Wednesday, the Queen said: “In 2016, many of us gathered in this very spot to mark the 30th anniversary of the Royal Osteoporosis Society. On that occasion, I said this: ‘I can only hope and pray that, with your help, the next 30 years will find a cure for osteoporosis, so that future generations will be spared its ravages.’
“We are not quite there yet, but we are well on the way and, for that, I would like to thank you all here for everything that you have done for this charity.
“Together, we can – and we will – see the end of osteoporosis, forever.”
Another ROS ambassador is the broadcaster Angela Rippon, who said: “We are at risk of osteoporosis as we get older, I’ve danced so I’ve kept my bones nice and strong and fortunately I’m fine but not all women are.”
She enjoys tap and modern dance and is also an ambassador for the Silver Swans – classes for elderly ballet dancers run by the Royal Academy of Dance – which has the Queen as a member.
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