Camilla and Prince Harry go head-to-head in championing military causes as the Queen celebrates The Poppy Factory's 100th birthday - while the Duke promotes the Invictus Games in Canada

Camilla continued her busy week as she met with Poppy makers todayREAD MORE:  Camilla and the Dames! Queen meets with British acting royalty

As Prince Harry speaks up for the welfare of veterans across the pond for the Invictus Games, his stepmother Queen Camilla is championing the very same cause in the UK.

Camilla, 76, continued a very busy week of engagements on Thursday as she met with Poppy makers at Clarence House – while Harry and Meghan attend Invictus Games events in Whistler, B.C.

Harry has long been known to champion the cause of caring for veterans since the first Invictus Games tournament in 2014 in London. However, Camilla may be coming for his crown as she marked the centenary of the The Poppy Factory, which was founded in the aftermath of the First World War.

The charity is known for helping veterans with mental and physical health issues return to work following service – in a cause that mirrors the Invictus Games, which strives to give injured veterans purpose and celebrate their achievements.

The reception, which  also marked 100 years since the charity began the move to its historic home in Richmond upon Thames, was just one in a series of engagements in which the Queen has participated this week as she steps up while King Charles continues his cancer treatment. 

The Queen, 76, met with The Poppy Factory at Clarence House to celebrate the charity’s 100th year

Camilla, 76, dressed in a navy blue shirt dress marked the centenary of The Poppy Factory, which was founded in the aftermath of the First World War

The reception also marks 100 years since the charity began the move to its historic home in Richmond upon Thames, south west London

Camilla pets a service dog during the outing

Her Majesty met with the President of The Poppy Factory Surgeon Rear Admiral Lionel Jarvis, who gifted her a wreath of poppies for the occasion.

Later, Her Majesty cut a cake with a sword – like her late mother-in-law once did.

The Queen has also today met with those  who have seen their lives changed by civilian employment with help from The Poppy Factory.

Last night, the Queen witnessed performances by Dame Judi Dench, Gary Oldman and Robert Lindsay at a star-studded event celebrating the work of William Shakespeare.

Camilla was greeted on her arrival at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel by a host of actors who have played Hamlet including Brian Cox, Jeremy Irons and David Mitchell.

She was then received by a dozen dames, including Dame Twiggy Lawson, Dame Vanessa Redgrave and Baroness Floella Benjamin.

On Valentine’s Day, Camilla was given two matching jumpers with a heart on them as a gift by event host Gyles Brandreth, who said he hoped they would keep the King and Queen ‘warm on those cold winter nights’.

Before his performance of Cole Porter’s Brush Up Your Shakespeare, Lindsay said Valentine’s Day was the ‘perfect day to celebrate the King’s love of Shakespeare, and indeed to celebrate the love between the King and the Queen’.

Her Majesty, who has kept busy as her husband King Charles is treated for cancer , today met with the President of The Poppy Factory Surgeon Rear Admiral Lionel Jarvis

The Queen has also today met with those who have seen their lives changed by civilian employment with help from The Poppy Factory

Camilla has kept busy this week amid her husband’s cancer battle

Other attendees at the celebrity-filled event included Charles Dance, Stephen Fry and Sir David Suchet.

His Majesty is currently receiving more cancer treatment after his first public appearance at Sandringham on Sunday.

The 75-year-old monarch landed at Clarendon House in the royal helicopter yesterday after spending a week in Norfolk resting following the shock announcement.

Camilla during a celebration at Clarence House, central London, marking the centenary of The Poppy Factory, which was founded in the aftermath of the First World War

Camilla holds a ’10’ made out of popppies

It is understood the reception was due to be a joint event for the King and his wife, but since his cancer diagnosis Charles has postponed all public-facing duties, however he is continuing with behind-the-scenes work on his red boxes of state papers.

Many of the guests signed a card and left messages of well-wishes to Charles.

The event formed part of ongoing celebrations marking the passing of 400 years since Shakespeare’s first folio and featured themed ‘To beet, or not to beet’ beetroot canapes.

Camilla, who wore a green velvet dress, met actors, authors, directors, and representatives of the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company at the celebration, joining guests for a group photograph.

Camilla smiles as she holds gifts of Valentine’s Day jumpers with red hearts displayed on them

Camilla looked gorgeous in green as she was joined by her sister Annabel Elliot at Grosvenor House

Judi Dench performs on stage in front of Queen Camilla

The King and Queen hosted a reception at Windsor Castle in July 2023 to celebrate the work of Shakespeare in the 400th year of the first folio.

Shakespeare’s first folio, published in 1623, contains 36 of his plays.

Buckingham Palace said: ‘As an avid reader, The Queen has a strong interest in highlighting the importance of literacy and has long been recognised as a supporter of literacy in the UK and internationally.

‘As a grandmother, Her Majesty understands the joy of reading, but also, how literacy can create life opportunities.’

As Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla became patron of several organisations that promote and support literacy – including the National Literacy Trust, First Story, Coram Beanstalk, and Booktrust.

The Queen’s Reading Room charity, initially launched as an online book club in January 2021, works to celebrate and promote the power and benefits of reading.

Dame Judi said it was ‘lovely’ to attend the event and gave a performance of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116, describing the Bard as ‘the person in our family who is called the man who pays the rent’.

Oldman then performed a skit by Ronnie Barker about an actor who jumbles up the lines to Hamlet.

Before giving his performance, the Academy Award winner joked: ‘Gyles said it’s just going to be a few people. He also didn’t tell me I’d have to follow Dame Judi Dench.’

It comes as Queen Camilla admired a painting of Princess Charlotte today as she attended an art gallery in London today.

Camilla,, centre, speaks with host Gyles Brandreth, at the ‘Celebration Of Shakespeare’ at Grosvenor House, in London

Giles Walker opted for a Valentine’s Day jumper

Gary Oldman performs on stage as Britain Queen Camilla attends the ‘Celebration Of Shakespeare’

Camilla shakes hands with Martin Jarvis as Peter Egan (L) smiles at the ‘Celebration Of Shakespeare’ at Grosvenor House

Camilla smiles as she shakes hands with Samuel Wes

Dressed in a navy A-line dress and black heeled boots, the royal braved the rainy weather as she chatted to artists and curators.

Camilla marvelled at the installations, including taxidermy mice, intricate embroidered textiles.

Chatting to the artists after looking around the exhibit, Camilla praised the talent saying she was ‘very envious’ of their talent, before one artist cheekily gave the Queen her card in case she ‘wanted private lessons’.  

It comes amid reports that her husband King Charles

is currently receiving more cancer treatment after his first public appearance at Sandringham on Sunday.

The 75-year-old monarch landed at Clarendon House in the royal helicopter yesterday after spending a week in Norfolk resting following the shock announcement.

Keeping calm and carrying on, Camilla today admired an intricate drawing of Princess Charlotte.

The Queen was drawn to a painting of her step-granddaughter Princess Charlotte by Mercedes Carbonell, who had created her version of a photograph released to mark the young royal’s second birthday in 2017.

The artist said: ‘The Queen liked it very much, I think Charlotte looks like Queen Elizabeth in the photograph.’

Queen Camilla admired a painting of Princess Charlotte today as she attended an art gallery in London today

The daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales ‘ daughter, is now eight, but the painting appears to be taken from a photo released for her second birthday.

A new kind of crown jewels! Camilla posed with with costume designer Syban Velardi-Laufer

Camilla was pictured admiring the installations, including taxidermy mice and intricate embroidered textiles

Camilla poses with artist Babag as she views works of art during a visit to Kindred Studios’ Shepherds Bush pop-up hub

Camilla meets Jon Rees as she visits Kindred Studios’ Shepherds Bush Pop-up hub

In the portrait, the princess wore a blue and white checked print blouse beneath a cream wool cardigan, while her hair was decorated with navy blue ribbon.

On arrival, Camilla was met by a glowing chorus sung by a female-only choir.

The group of women sang gleefully to the Queen from atop a balcony at nearby flats.

She opted for a stylish navy blue frock while carrying a transparent umbrella, and added a black cropped jacket with open zipped sides, that allowed her free use of her arms.

She teamed the ensemble with a pair of black suede knee-high boots and a chic emerald green Van Cleef and Arpels Alhambra bracelet.