Queen Camilla lifted the lid on a fresh royal family health crisis Tuesday after she told a visiting party including the Amir of Qatar that she had been diagnosed with pneumonia.
Camilla’s comments threw a spanner in the works of a careful effort by the palace to downplay her illness, with palace sources having consistently briefed the media that she was suffering a “nasty bug” or a “lingering chest infection” in recent weeks.
They conceded Tuesday after Camilla’s comments that she has had pneumonia, an illness which can be fatal.
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She is understood to have picked up the disease on or immediately after an exhausting official trip to Australasia undertaken by her and her husband, which concluded, ironically enough, with a three-day retreat at a wellness centre in India.
Camilla has maintained a notably low profile since her return from the trip in late October, skipping key events such as the Remembrance Sunday ceremonies which mark the end of the WWI and honors all veterans.
She is also taking a reduced role in the Qatar state visit which got underway in London today, avoiding standing for prolonged periods and not attending key aspects of the visit. The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, by contrast, is attending a significant number of banquets and events.
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs causing inflammation in the air sacs (alveoli), which may fill with fluid. It can range from mild to life-threatening depending on the cause, age, and health of the individual.
The most severe cases involve bacterial pneumonia, often caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, leading to high fever, chest pain, and difficulty breathing.
Viral pneumonia, which the palace has now suggested Camilla has, can be caused by influenza or COVID-19, and is often milder, and is sometimes called “walking pneumonia.”
An official palace source said: “(The queen) has chosen to clarify with some attendees that the specific viral chest infection she had was a form of pneumonia. She has recovered well but continues to experience episodic symptoms of post-viral fatigue.”
