Queen Camilla dons a crisp white lab coat as she enjoys an educational visit to The Royal Free Hospital

Queen Camilla seemed eager to peer through a microscope during her visit to a lab that specializes in developing new approaches to studying multiple autoimmune diseases.

The 75-year-old royal wore a crisp white lab coat over a chic patterned maxi dress when she arrived at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead to learn more about the work of JDRF, a type 1 diabetes charity of which Camilla chairs .

She was later seen chatting up a storm with fitness star Mr Motivator at a reception for supporters of the organisation, with former Prime Minister Theresa May among those in attendance.

Camilla prioritized comfort with cream suede shoes with a stylish yet sporty chunky sole.

The wife of King Charles III styled her platinum bob in her signature flared style and opted for a simply glamorous makeup look that accentuated her eyes.

She listened intently as she learned about the world-class medical research being conducted to cure, prevent and treat type 1 diabetes.

Her Majesty also heard about JDRF’s Connect Immune Research partnership, which looks at the links between autoimmune disorders, and attended a reception for supporters and staff.

The Queen heard of a young woman who has type 1 diabetes and juvenile arthritis.

Theresa May – who has type 1 diabetes – was also in attendance and was in conversation with the royal family.

Also in attendance were Derrick Evans (Mr Motivator) – whose daughter has been diagnosed with the condition – and Jamie Austin, who completed the M1 (220 miles) earlier this year to raise money for charity.

Derrick and Camilla threw back their heads in laughter as they spoke, clearly enjoying each other’s conversation.

It comes after a busy week for Camilla, who led the festivities at a conservation charity ball with her husband.

The pair appeared in high spirits at the party at Lancaster House to mark the 20th anniversary of the Elephant Family charity, which was founded in 2003 by Her Majesty’s late brother Mark Shand.

This year’s annual Animal Ball was a celebration of Indigenous communities organized by the Elephant Family in partnership with the British Asian Trust.

At the London event, the King and Queen, dressed in a bespoke Anna Valentine, presented two Elephant Family awards – the Mark Shand Award and the Tara Award – to recognize their contributions to protecting Asian wildlife.

On arrival in the garden of Lancaster House, Their Majesties were met by Ruth Ganesh, co-founder of the Elephant Family, and Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive of the British Asian Trust.

Many well-to-do guests joined the royal couple at the glitzy event, including Christian Louboutin, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sir Brian May, his wife Anita Dobson, Donna Air, Keely Hawes, Emma Weymouth and Gwendoline Christie.

Lancaster House’s garden was decorated with the charity’s Lanterna Elephant sculptures, which were part of the ‘Co-Existence’ exhibition at the Royal Parks in 2021.

Under the sculptures of the Lanterna elephant, the king and queen met the evening’s prize winners, including members of the Adivasi tribal community from the Nilgiri Mountains, India.

The community received the Elephant Family’s Mark Shand Award for 2023 from the Queen. The King and Queen also met with Oscar-winning Indian documentary filmmaker, Kartiki Gonsalves, who received the newly created Tara Award from His Majesty.

The Tara Award is named after Mark Shand’s elephant, who first inspired the creation of the Elephant Family.

After meeting with the charity’s supporters and performers at the Animal Ball, the King and Queen made their way to a marquee for the awards ceremony.

During the presentation, Their Majesties listened to a series of musical performances by the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra and singer-songwriter Tom Odell.

The king urged people to “pay attention” to indigenous communities “before it’s too late” in an impromptu speech after presenting a conservation award at the ball.

He said: ‘I think it’s been over 35 years now since I tried to see if I could set up a project to collect as much of the indigenous knowledge and wisdom around the world as possible. But at the time, no one wanted to know.

“But if I may say so, it is absolutely crucial that we turn to all that indigenous knowledge and wisdom as the only way to truly restore the balance and harmony that is so much needed in this world if we are to save the planet. to rescue. .

“So it’s up to all of us to heed that knowledge and that wisdom before it’s too late.”