In early November, Buckingham Palace revealed that Queen Camilla had to cancel her upcoming engagements as she was suffering from a chest infection.
The 77-year-old later confirmed at the Qatar state banquet that her illness was actually a form of pneumonia. Doctors have allegedly advised the Queen to take more time to rest and recover fully as she battles post-viral fatigue.
“Her Majesty The Queen is currently unwell with a chest infection, for which her doctors have advised a short period of rest,” a palace spokesperson revealed on 5 November.
“With great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week but she very much hopes to be recovered in time to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events as normal.
“She apologises to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result.”
Queen Camilla’s ill health meant she was unable to attend the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on 7 November.
The Queen was also set to host a reception at Buckingham Palace alongside King Charles III that same night, to honour the medallists from the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Camilla is now resting at home, and although no further details regarding her health have been revealed, she is understood to be under doctor’s supervision.
Buckingham Palace said that Her Majesty hoped to be well enough to attend Remembrance events over the weekend, however they issued another statement confirming she was still too unwell.
“Following doctors’ guidance to ensure a full recovery from a seasonal chest infection, and to protect others from any potential risk, Her Majesty will not attend this weekend’s Remembrance events,” the statement, shared on 10 November, read.
“While this is a source of great disappointment to The Queen, she will mark the occasion privately at home and hopes to return to public duties early next week.”
The Queen also pulled out of attending the Gladiator II royal premiere in London on 13 November.
The announcement of her cancelling the engagement came just one day before she attended a reception at Clarence House for The Booker Prize Foundation.
At the event, she addressed her ill health for the first time, saying, “I’m obviously getting much better, bit of sort of coughing going on.”
She added, “I’m on the mend, these things always take a bit of time to get rid of. You think you got rid of it, they just sort of hang on for a bit. But hopefully, I’m on the mend now.”
However, it appears her health took another turn as she pulled out of the Royal Variety Performance just hours before the event began.
“Following a recent chest infection, the Queen continues to experience some lingering post-viral symptoms, as a result of which doctors have advised that, after a busy week of engagements, Her Majesty should prioritize sufficient rest,” a statement from a palace spokesperson said.
The chest infection comes after the King and Queen’s recent royal tour of Australia and Samoa.
During the visit, the royals completed up to 10 engagements every day and experienced many weather conditions including heavy rain.
Charles and Camilla also made a stop in India on the way home to visit a wellness retreat and spa.
