The Queen has told academics from the Institute of Cancer Research that they were doing “such important work”, adding: “I don’t know what we would do without you.”
Camilla, 76, chatted to a delegation from the London-based institute as she presented the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education to 22 colleges and universities.
The King had been due to join his wife at the Buckingham Palace ceremony but was forced to pull out due to his cancer diagnosis.
The Queen was instead joined by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
The awards - established in 1994 to honour Elizabeth II - are awarded biannually to institutions deemed to have made a particular impact in any particular field, to the benefit of society as well as the universities or colleges themselves.
The Institute of Cancer Research was honoured for its world leading breast cancer research.
Among the other winners was Plumpton College, recognised for its work promoting the growth of the UK wine industry.
The Queen, who was raised in the village of Plumpton and has visited the college at least once, said she was “thrilled” by their success.
Her father was a wine merchant and she is president of the UK Vineyards Association and patron of Wine GB.
“I grew up almost next to the college,” the Queen told the academics at a reception following the award ceremony.
“They are doing a fantastic job.”
She told the delegation from the college that whenever she visited any vineyard and asked the experts where they had trained “they always say Plumpton”.
