Queen Camilla to Miss Remembrance Events Due to Chest Infection

Buckingham Palace has announced that Queen Camilla will not attend this weekend’s Remembrance events as she recuperates from a chest infection. A statement from the Palace indicated that Her Majesty is “following doctors’ guidance to ensure a full recovery from a seasonal chest infection, and to protect others from any potential risk”. The 77-year-old Queen plans to “mark the occasion privately at home and hopes to return to public duties early next week.” Separately, on Friday, it was confirmed that the Princess of Wales, Catherine, would participate in Remembrance events in London this weekend, marking her gradual return to public engagements after her cancer treatment. The Buckingham Palace statement reiterated: “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.” It added: “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.” Her Majesty will not be present with other members of the Royal Family at the Festival of Remembrance, scheduled for Saturday evening at the Royal Albert Hall, nor at the Sunday service at the Cenotaph. King Charles, who continues to undergo cancer treatment, is expected to lay a wreath at the memorial in Whitehall, central London, representing the nation. Although the Queen had previously withdrawn from engagements earlier in the week, there had been an expectation that she would still be able to participate in the weekend’s Remembrance events. Sources indicate that there is no reason for concern regarding her health, nor has there been any deterioration in her condition; rather, her medical team has recommended additional days of rest to facilitate a complete recovery. Queen Camilla reportedly expressed disappointment at being unable to honor the nation’s fallen service personnel this weekend, but she is conscious of the need to minimize the risk of transmitting any residual infection to the elderly veterans who will be present. On Thursday, the Queen was absent from the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey, with the Duchess of Gloucester attending in her stead. Furthermore, she withdrew from a reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes held at Buckingham Palace on Thursday evening, which was hosted by the King. Her Majesty had returned to the UK last Wednesday following a tour with the King to Australia and Samoa, which involved a stopover in India during their return journey. King Charles was diagnosed with cancer in February. His treatment had been temporarily halted during his recent overseas travel but was anticipated to resume upon his return to the UK. On Thursday, Prince William characterized the preceding year as the “hardest year” of his life, attributing this to both his wife and his father receiving cancer diagnoses. “I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done,” he informed reporters at the conclusion of his trip to South Africa, where he was promoting his Earthshot eco-project. He added: “But from a personal family point of view, it’s been brutal.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.