The Duchess of Cornwall attempts to dodge the rain as she opens medical centre at RAF base
THE Duchess of Cornwall has opened a multimillion-pound medical centre at an RAF base today.
She looked glamorous in a pale green dress coat and patterned scarf as she met with patients and staff during her visit to North Yorkshire.
Camilla looked on as many members of the armed forces underwent minor treatment or rehabilitation during her visit to RAF Leeming, near Northallerton.
In an impromptu speech the Duchess told servicemen and women, their families and medical staff: "Congratulations to everybody who has been involved. It is very impressive."
Camilla, who is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Leeming, added: "I saw the old one and it is quite an improvement. It's going to be wonderful for personnel.
I saw the old one and it is quite an improvement. It's going to be wonderful for personnel
"I think they are very lucky and talking to people, I think they realise how lucky they are. I hope it goes from strength to strength."
The new £4.9million medical facility replaces a centre which dated back to 1939 when the station was a Second World War bomber base.
Work started in August last year and was completed in March, and the new building now provides emergency medical cover for the station's military personnel and also provides services for the civilian families who live on the base.
The centre now includes a gym used for patient physiotherapy, the Duchess got a demonstration of how useful the amendments are already proving as Paul Bentley-Crane used the parallel bars as part of his recovery from a training injury.
Today RAF Leeming is home to the RAF Tactical Communication Hub - 90 Signals Unit - and 100 Squadron, which provides "Aggressor" support for all RAF fast-jet operational conversion units and squadrons.