Queen Camilla, who recently completed a royal tour of Australia and Samoa with her husband, King Charles, has had to step back from several royal duties due to health concerns.
During their tour, Camilla was visibly emotional when King Charles spoke about his mortality, and she was also seen barefoot after a long day of engagements. However, upon returning to the UK, the Queen was advised by her medical team to take time off from her royal responsibilities due to illness.
Buckingham Palace addressed Camilla’s health in a statement, explaining (via the BBC), “Her Majesty The Queen is currently unwell with a chest infection, for which her doctors have advised a short period of rest.”
King Charles and Queen Camilla share a poignant moment during their Australia tour
The statement continued, “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.”
In the Queen’s absence, the Duchess of Gloucester will attend the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday, November 7.
Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, hailing from Denmark, is married to the Duke of Gloucester, Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin. As an active member of the Royal Family, she frequently represents her relatives at important events.
The BBC further reported that the Queen’s health issue may be “a relatively minor bug” possibly contracted during her extensive travels, which included visits to Australia, Samoa, and India to break up the long flight.
Camilla is reportedly hoping to resume her royal duties this weekend, with her schedule including Saturday’s Festival of Remembrance concert at the Royal Albert Hall and Sunday’s service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall.
In regard to her absence from certain events, Buckingham Palace expressed (via GB News) that, “She apologizes to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result.”
