Camilla Opens Osteoporosis Extension

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall has been busy attending charity events lately, and this week has been no different. The wife of Prince Charles was in Bath in the UK to open a new extension to the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) headquarters on Thursday.

Braving the heavy snow that has fallen over much of England, the Duchess also presented the inaugural Duchess of Cornwall award, an accolade that recognizes individuals for their outstanding contribution to the field of osteoporosis and can be bestowed upon professionals or volunteers.

Osteoporosis is a fragile bone disease that affects half of women, and one in five men in the UK aged over fifty. The Duchess has been president of the NOS – the only national charity dedicated to improving the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the condition – since 2001.

“It is an enormous pleasure to unveil the new extension,” she said as she opened the £1.6 million extension. “I have to pinch myself when I think of how far the charity has come over recent years. Eleven years ago when I first came here it was a small and struggling charity but with the wonderful work of staff, supporters and volunteers we have come so far. When my own mother tragically died a few years later my family and I were horrified by our ignorance of this silent disease. At that time we had a dream of raising awareness and helping the 1,000s of sufferers to live a better life. As we stand in this new room we can look back and take pride in the fact that a significant part of that dream has been realized.”