Queen Camilla receives fan adorned with favourite flowers for 'special occasions'

Queen Camilla was gifted a breathtaking bespoke fan inspired by her official Coronation portrait during a special visit to The Fan Museum.

Opening the museum’s new Monarchy exhibition in Greenwich as its patron, Camilla was presented with the intricately designed piece by artist Paul Benney, who painted her official Coronation portrait unveiled last year. 

In that artwork, she is seen holding a prototype of the very same fan making Thursday’s unveiling a full-circle royal moment.

The handmade creation is filled with deeply personal details chosen especially for the Queen, including her favourite flowers, butterflies, her birth constellation, and even a dragonfly symbolising St George and the Dragon. 

Crafted over nearly three years, the fan was created by celebrated French master fan maker Frederick Gay and commissioned through the The Worshipful Company of Fan Makers.

Seeing the finished piece for the first time, Camilla warmly told Benney: “It is so beautiful. I shall use it on very special occasions. I am deeply honoured to have it.”

The visit came just one day after the third anniversary of the King and Queen’s Coronation at Westminster Abbey in May 2023.

Camilla also revealed she had loaned several fans from her own private collection to the exhibition, joking that there were now “a few little spaces” left at Clarence House and teasing: “I shall look forward to getting them back again.”

During the outing, the Queen met museum founder Helene Alexander, staff, trustees, and craftspeople involved in preserving traditional decorative arts. 

In another light-hearted moment, Camilla also laughed that “my husband has a lot of sporrans” while discussing heritage craftsmanship linked to Scottish dress.