Queen Camilla did three big events last week – she attended the diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening, she received an honorary doctorate on Wednesday, and on Thursday, she hosted an event for the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition. So, three days in a row, she had events. The flurry of activity came after Camilla skipped all of the Remembrance events earlier in the month, as well as canceling and postponing other, non-Remembrance events. A “chest infection” was cited and Buckingham Palace tried to strike the balance between “she’s really sick” and “but she’ll be okay.” Well, after three days of work, Camilla said no mas. She pulled out of her appearance at the Royal Variety show, which she was supposed to attend with King Charles on Friday. She pulled out just a few hours before the event.
Queen Camilla has canceled her appearance at a major event in the royal calendar, as she continues to suffer the lingering effects of a chest infection. Camilla skipped Remembrance Sunday events in London ten days ago, and—despite attending some engagements this week—Buckingham Palace said Friday the 77-year old would not attend this evening’s Royal Variety Performance, an iconic set-piece of the royal festive calendar which sees the royals attend a central London theatre for a program of popular entertainment.
Over three weeks since picking up an illness shortly after an overseas tour that culminated in a sojourn at an alternative healing clinic in India, Camilla is still unwell with what sources describe as a “nasty bug” and “lingering post-viral symptoms” of a chest infection.
A palace spokesperson and an official source sought to play down the severity of the queen’s condition. The spokesperson said: “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.”
The source said that due to the “lateness” of the event, Camilla had “sensibly decided to heed medical advice that there is a risk when recovering patients overstretch themselves.”
The palace source said the “nasty bug” had left the queen—who reportedly smoked 10 cigarettes a day until 2001, when she quit the habit—feeling “a little under the weather.”
The source said the queen was “naturally disappointed to miss the evening’s entertainments, and sends her sincere apologies to all those involved, but is a great believer that the show must go on. She hopes to be back to full strength and regular public duties very soon.”
I hadn’t been sick in a few years before I got a cold in September. I was surprised by how long that f–king cold lingered. In Camilla’s case, she’s in her 70s and she’s probably pretty pickled most of the time, and she had just returned from a long international journey. That being said, she looked and seemed fine earlier in the week. Is something going on? Another health-related conspiracy? I honestly don’t know. I will say this though – Charles did not look well at the Royal Variety show (photos below). He was all hunched over and really did look quite sick. I wonder why he didn’t cancel too, and make someone else go in his place. Maybe no one else was available – Sophie, Edward, Anne, Peggington, Waity? Were they all busy on a Friday night?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.