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Duchess Camilla added the most thoughtful detail to her latest outfit – find out its meaning

She paid tribute to the Chelsea Pensioners


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Fiona Ward
Acting Fashion and Beauty Editor
June 5, 2020
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The Duchess of Cornwall made another video appearance on Thursday, this time speaking out in support of the Chelsea Pensioners to mark their founders' day. Thoughtfully, the royal paid tribute to the nation's iconic army veterans with her fashion choices as well as her words, adding pretty oak leaf brooches to her outfit. The Royal Hospital Chelsea's founders day is also known as Oak Apple Day, and the leaf holds special significance to the group.

WATCH: Camilla sends Chelsea Pensioners her message of support

The Chelsea Pensioners' website reads: "The Oak reference commemorates the escape of the future King Charles II after the Battle of Worcester (1651) when he hid in an oak tree to avoid capture by the Parliamentary forces, and is expressed through all Chelsea Pensioners wearing oak leaves on their famous scarlet uniforms."

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Camilla traditionally wears oak leaves on her lapel at the annual founders' day parade – described as the "highlight of the Royal Hospital Chelsea's calendar - which was sadly cancelled this year due to the coronavirus crisis.

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Camilla attends the Founders Day Parade in 2013

Perhaps that's why the royal also chose to wear a beautiful shade of forest green to record her video message? She said: "The Chelsea Pensioners continue to stand for service to our nation, just as you have since 1692, and just as you always will. I look forward to seeing you all again face to face, hopefully in the not too distant future."

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Like other members of the royal family, the Duchess often chooses her brooches carefully for her appearances. In May, she joined forces with director Taika Waititi to read Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach as part of her work with Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity, which provides specialist nurses to seriously ill children in the UK. For the video, she added an adorable squirrel pin to her outfit, no doubt to appeal to her younger audience. How lovely is that?

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