Queen Camilla Absent Due to Sudden and Worrying Health Scare

Queen Camilla wears a polka dot dress, a pearl necklace and black hat with feathers in it and she looks tearful

(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

published 5 November 2024

Queen Camilla recently returned from a royal tour of Australia and Samoa alongside her husband, King Charles. However, following the successful trip, the Queen has been replaced at several royal events due to health issues.

During the eventful tour, Camilla burst into tears when King Charles discussed his mortality. She also appeared barefoot after a day of busy engagements. After returning home, though, the Queen has been forced to pull out from her official royal engagements on the advice of her medical team.

Buckingham Palace released a statement regarding Camilla's health, saying (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."

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."

King Charles wears a tan suit while smiling at wife Queen Camilla, who wears a light blue tunic with a striped pattern, while they pose on the beach in Apia, Samoa — King Charles and Queen Camilla in Apia, Samoa.

According to the BBC, the Duchess of Gloucester will take Camilla's place at the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday, November 7.

Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, was born in Denmark, and is married to Queen Elizabeth II's cousin, the Duke of Gloucester. As a busy member of the Royal Family, the Duchess is used to attending high-profile events on behalf of her relatives.

The outlet also noted that the Queen hopefully has "a relatively minor bug... which could have been picked up during her long-haul travels." As well as traveling all the way to Australia and Samoa, it's also been reported that the Queen visited India to break up the long flight.

Queen Camilla crying in Samoa while wearing a floral dress — Queen Camilla in Samoa.

The Queen is reportedly hoping to return to her royal duties this weekend. Her busy schedule would include Saturday's Festival of Remembrance concert at the Royal Albert Hall, followed by the annual service held at the Cenotaph in Whitehall on Sunday.

Regarding Camilla's absence from some events, Buckingham Palace explained (via GB News), "She apologizes to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result."

TOPICS

Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.

Stay In The Know