The 77-year-old queen believes the virus is “[hanging] on for a little bit,” despite the palace’s earlier assertion that she was recovering from a chest infection that forced her to take a break in early November.
The queen consort hosted the prestigious Booker Prize ceremony on November 12 despite missing several occasions due to illness, but she had to leave before the winner was announced. King Charles will now have to walk the red carpet alone when Her Majesty withdraws from the Gladiator II Royal Film Performance.
The king began his canc3r treatment after Charles, 75, and Camilla, 77, returned from their lengthy tour of Australia and Samoa, and the queen was confined to bed due to an illness that left her with a chest infection.
Despite having to miss many events due to her illness, the palace expected her to resume her public duties over the Remembrance Day weekend. According to a royal statement issued on November 5th, “Her Majesty the queen is currently unwell with a chest infection, for which her doctors have advised a short period of rest.”
“Her Majesty regretfully had to cancel her engagements for this week, but she sincerely hopes to recover in time to attend the Remembrance events this weekend as usual.” On Remembrance Sunday, King Charles lay a wreath on behalf of the country at the Whitehall memorial in central London, but the queen was not present at the Cenotaph.
Birgitte, the 78-year-old Duchess of Gloucester, replaced Camilla at Westminster Abbey’s annual Field of Remembrance opening on November 7. Prince William, Kate Middleton, who has gradually returned to public life following cancer treatment, and other members of the royal family joined the king in remembering Britain’s fallen warriors.
According to a royal adviser, the queen spent several days at home recovering under doctor’s orders, adding, “Although 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.”
Camilla was supposed to co-host, but King Charles hosted an Olympic and Paralympic luncheon at Buckingham Palace that evening. Despite having to leave the event she was hosting before the winner was announced, Queen Camilla, who says “literature has always been my passion,” attended the Booker Prize reception on November 12 at Clarence House.
She is, however, canceling her appearance at the highly anticipated Gladiator II premiere at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square theatre in downtown London since her illness is lasting longer than expected, leaving Charles to walk the red carpet alone. The 2024 video is “the 72nd Royal Film Performance delivered by the charity, which marks its 100th anniversary this year,” according to Newsweek.