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.
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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.”
