When she first received an email earlier this year from the British Embassy reaching out to explore a visit by unnamed special visitors to Front Royal, the town's mayor, Lori Cockrell, thought the email was a scam, she recently told Fox-5.
When the embassy followed up a week later, she passed along the information to the town manager who looked into it and discovered it was the real deal. Once Front Royal realized what was about to happen to their small town, the local government and volunteers began working closely with the embassy as well as the Secret Service (especially after the incident at the Washington Correspondents Dinner the weekend before their arrival) to make sure things went off without a hitch.
Photo courtesy of Governor's Office
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger (left) Front Royal Mayor Lori Cockrell, King Charles, Queen Camilla and Yvette Cooper, U.K. foreign secretary, pause for a photo in Front Royal, Va.
King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived Thursday, April 30 at the "Gateway to the Shenandoah," Front Royal, Virginia, to help celebrate America's 250th anniversary.
They didn't arrive empty-handed. They arrived with their contribution to the community block party potluck, a Coronation Quiche.
The Coronation Quiche was introduced in April 2023 as the official signature dish for the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
It is a deep, crusty quiche featuring a light pastry case and a filling of spinach, broad beans (fava beans), fresh tarragon and cheddar cheese. It can be enjoyed hot, cold or at room temperature.
More goodies from the royal couple included a Victoria Sponge Cake and honey from the royal hives, The New York Times reported.
Queen Camilla's recipe for Sponge Cake:
- 110g self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 110g soft margarine or butter (at room temperature)
- 110g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2-3 drops of pure vanilla essence
To finish:
- Lemon curd or jam (with fresh cream, optional) or Nutella or your filling of choice
- Sifted icing sugar
See the full recipe here.
The royal couple were greeted by Mayor Cockrell, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and a Little League team. Agents were stationed on rooftops and attendees passed through Secret Service checkpoints, 13ABC reported. They watched a parade from a gazebo.
Queen Camilla wore the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Cartier Union Jack and Stars and Stripes brooch, Women's Wear Daily reported. It was given to the late queen in 1957, during her state visit to the United States, as a personal gift from then-New York Mayor Robert F. Wagner and his wife.
Photo by Andrew King, Department of Interior
King Charles visits Shenandoah National Park April 30.
After their visit to Front Royal, the King headed to Shenandoah National Park, where he heard about the importance of the National Park system and the work of Rangers and visitors to protect their natural environments for future generations.
King Charles also met with representatives of the Monacan Indian Nation during his visit to Shenandoah National Park.
He and members of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service also gathered at the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center to commemorate the 1916 signing of the Migratory Bird Treaty between the United States and Canada, originally signed by King George V, the great-grandfather of King Charles.
The Virginia Wildlife Center—most notably, Buddy the Bald Eagle—was invited to participate in this historic event
The Queen visited Smitten Farm in The Plains where she fed a carrot to a horse named Blind Date and discovered more about America’s horse racing industry and efforts across the sport to improve horse welfare.
