Queen Camilla battles rain to claim hardest-working royal title

Queen Camilla stepped out on Thursday, January 22, to outshine King Charles and Anne as the hardest-working royal while shining a spotlight on one of England’s most quietly extraordinary museums with a visit to Wiltshire Museum in Devizes.

The outing marked a major milestone for the institution as celebrations continue around the Assizes for Devizes project, a bold plan to rescue the long neglected Assize Court and reinvent it as the museum’s future home. 

After decades of decay, the grand Grade II listed building on Northgate Street is finally set for a second life.

Inside the museum, Camilla paused over a carefully displayed historic object to appreciate the past.

The Queen later stepped out to view the Court itself, braving the rain under umbrellas as she crossed the busy street and waved to onlookers. 

She was joined by museum director David Dawson, Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society chair Caroline Kay, and Peter Troughton of the Devizes Assize Court Trust.

The visit comes as momentum builds behind the redevelopment. 

She became the museum’s first-ever Royal Patron last year, and in December the project received a major boost with an £8.5 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, following planning approval earlier in the year.