Queen Camilla Hosts All-Female ‘Maiden’ Yachting Crew

Queen Camilla honored the Maiden yachting crew while hosting them at the Clarence House.

“I think you are doing a brilliant job,” Camilla, 76, said on Monday, April 29, per Hello. “Keep on doing it, it’s really important.”

The 2023-24 Ocean Globe race — which marked the 50th anniversary of the initial race — featured 14 boats who started in the U.K. and journeyed over 27,000 nautical miles, making stops in South Africa, New Zealand and Uruguay. The retro race utilized sextants and paper charts instead of computers, GPS and other high-tech materials.

The team, which spent 153 days at sea, included the first Black female crew and first Middle Eastern female crew to race around the world.

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“Today, The Queen hosted the ‘Maiden’ yacht crew at Clarence House to congratulate them on their unprecedented win of the Ocean Globe Race, becoming the first ever all-female crew to win an around-the-world yacht race,” the royal family wrote via X on Monday.

Before the crew set sail in September 2023, Camilla sent support. “You are all much in my thoughts today, as you cross the start line of the Ocean Globe Race for Maiden’s final race,” she said in a message at the time. “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!”

Three decades prior, Tracy Edwards and her crew became the first all-female team to take part in the around-the-world race. They finished second.

In 2018, the yacht was repurposed for a world tour to raise awareness and money for the crew’s education. Before leaving, Camilla and King Charles III, who were then The Duchess of Cornwall and The Prince of Wales, visited the refurbished boat.

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Camilla’s solo appearance on Monday comes amid Charles’ health woes. Charles, who revealed his cancer diagnosis in February, is set to make his official return to public duties on Tuesday, April 30.

Charles, 75, and Camilla will be meeting with medical specialists and patients during their outing, in an effort to raise awareness for the importance of early diagnosis and spotlight innovative research, supported by Cancer Research U.K.

“His Majesty The King will shortly return to public-facing duties after a period of treatment and recuperation following his recent cancer diagnosis,” a statement released by the palace on Friday, April 26, read. “To help mark this milestone, The King and Queen will make a joint visit to a cancer treatment center next Tuesday, where they will meet medical specialists and patients.”