12 facts about the Duchess of Cornwall to mark her 73rd birthday

The Duchess of Cornwall celebrated her 73rd birthday on Friday 17 July. To mark the special occasion, we have gathered a list of 12 fun facts you may not have known about the royal.

Take a look through the gallery here…

READ: New photo of Duchess of Cornwall at home released to mark 73rd birthday

The Duchess of Cornwall was born Camilla Rosemary Shand on July 17, 1947 at King's College Hospital in London. She was the first child of parents Major Bruce Shand and his wife, the Honourable Rosalind Shand. Here, four-year-old Camilla, left, is seen as a flower girl with her little sister Annabelle.

Camilla is 16 months older than her husband Prince Charles, who was born in November 1948 at Buckingham Palace.

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Clarence House made the official announcement on 10 February 2005 that Prince Charles was to marry Camilla. On 9 April, the couple married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, Berkshire. After the civil vows, the Prince and Duchess held a service of blessing at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, which was attended by the royal family including Queen Elizabeth.

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Camilla's full royal title is 'Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, Countess of Chester, Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order'.

The royal is a big fan of British TV dance show Strictly Come Dancing, and even once visited the show's set. The Duchess sat next to judge Craig Revel Horwood as she watched McBusted drummer Harry Judd rehearse with partner Aliona Vilani before giving the pop star a congratulatory score of "nine!". Here, the royal dances with Arthur Edwards at a Tea Party on her visit to Bristol, England on 14 February 2017.

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As a royal wife herself, Camilla has provided support to daughter-in-law Kate Middleton and the pair are said to be very close.

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To mark Camilla joining the royal family, a new rose was named the Duchess of Cornwall in 2005.

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The Duchess is the proud owner of two Jack Russell Terriers, Beth and Bluebell, who were included in the family portrait with Prince Charles to mark the couple's 15th wedding anniversary in April 2020.

The royal pooches are both rescue dogs, with Camilla adopting Beth from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in London in 2011 and Bluebell a year later.

Beth and Bluebell accompanied the Duchess on a very fitting engagement to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home Old Windsor in 2017, when Camilla became the charity's patron, taking over from the Queen.

The Duchess recently spoke about how she came to adopt the pups during an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live's Emma Barnett. She told the presenter: "Along I went to Battersea, and Beth appeared and she had just been moved from pillar to post and dumped.

"We thought it would be nice for her to have a friend. They found [Bluebell] two or three weeks later wandering about in woods, no hair on her, covered in sores, virtually dead.

"And they nursed her back to life and her hair grew again. She's very sweet, but a tiny bit neurotic, shall we say."

When Camilla and Charles have time off from their royal duties, the Duchess is known to enjoy reading, fishing, gardening and taking country walks with her dogs. Here she is with her pup Beth during her visit to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in February 2017 in Old Windsor, England.

Duchess Camilla is famously down to earth and is known for providing a touch of humour - and great candid moments - during royal engagements.

Camilla shares a birthday with Donald Sutherland, Fast and Furious star Vin Diesel and actor Benedict Cumberbatch, seen here chatting with Camilla's brother-in-law Prince Edward at a Buckingham Palace garden party in 2013.

In 2015, Camilla visited Wimbledon where she watched Andy Murray play. At the end of the match, the Scottish tennis player threw his wristband up to the Duchess in the Royal Box. Camilla decided to put the signed wristband on eBay, and it eventually sold for £2,100, which was donated to the Royal Veterinary College Animal Care Trust, chosen by Andy.

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