Queen Camilla, 77, will not attend Festival of Remembrance nor Cenotaph service as she continues to battle chest infection

Buckingham Palace has confirmed the Queen will not attend the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday evening, nor the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph on Sunday.

A Palace spokesperson said: ‘Following doctors’ guidance to ensure a full recovery from a seasonal chest infection, and to protect others from any potential risk, Her Majesty will not attend this weekend’s Remembrance events.

‘While 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.’

It is understood there is no cause for alarm, and no downturn in her condition. The Queen is said to be mindful of minimising the risk of passing any last lingering infection to others.

The Princess of Wales, who is recovering from cancer and the King, who is still having ongoing treatment for cancer, are both attending the Remembrance events.

Buckingham Palace announced on Tuesday that the Queen, who has just completed a mammoth tour of Australia and Samoa with King Charles, was cancelling her forthcoming engagements due to a chest infection.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said at the time: ‘Her Majesty The Queen is currently unwell with a chest infection, for which her doctors have advised a short period of rest.

‘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.

‘She apologises to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result.’

The 77-year-old royal is understood to be recovering at home in Wiltshire and is being monitored by doctors. 

Camilla’s condition meant that she had to reluctantly withdraw from the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday; with the Duchess of Gloucester, 78, standing in for her.

She was also forced to cancel her appearance at a reception at Buckingham Palace in honour of the nation’s Olympic and Paralympic stars on the same day. 

Camilla is expected to return to work as soon as next week when she will host a reception for authors shortlisted for this year’s Booker Prize at Clarence House. 

She is also set to attend the glitzy global premiere of Gladiator II at the Royal Film Performance in London’s Leicester Square next Wednesday evening.

Buckingham Palace announced the King and Camilla will meet the stars of the blockbuster, Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen and Pedro Pascal, and director Sir Ridley Scott. 

The reception will mark the centenary of the Film and TV Charity, of which Charles is patron. The events are taking place on the eve of the King’s birthday, with Charles turning 76 next Thursday.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer posted a get-well message to the Queen on social media. He wrote: ‘On behalf of the whole country, I wish Her Majesty The Queen a speedy recovery.’

Camilla and the King have just undertaken a gruelling 11-day, 30,000-mile round trip, partly on commercial airlines. They spent around two weeks out of the UK for the nine-day official tour.

They stopped off in India for the luxury spa break on their return flight from Samoa, with the King following advice to take periods of rest to prioritise his cancer recovery.

The royal couple were reported to have spent three days at the £3,000-a-week holistic Soukya resort in Bangalore, known for its yoga programmes and Ayurvedic treatments.

The Queen has been focused on her husband’s health in recent months, telling author Lee Child in June that he was ‘doing fine’ but ‘won’t slow down and won’t do what he’s told’.

Charles, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February, paused his treatment to undertake his historic the trip to Australia in October.

The King and his daughter in law, the Princess of Wales, are both set to attend both the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph and the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.

Kate is making a gradual return to public duties after completing a course of cancer treatment, with her last high-profile appearance at Trooping the Colour in June.

She has stayed home with children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis this week while William was in Cape Town for his Earthshot Prize awards.

But Kate’s double appearance this weekend will be the first time she has carried out two consecutive days of public official engagements since the start of the year. 

As is tradition, Kate will watch on Sunday from above on the nearby Foreign Office balcony, taking part in the two-minute silence and viewing the veterans’ march past.

It comes after William revealed how 2024 has been ‘brutal’ and ‘probably the hardest year in my life’ with both Kate and his father the King diagnosed with cancer.

The prince spoke candidly about the Royal Family’s major health scares, saying of this year: ‘Honestly, it’s been dreadful. It’s probably been the hardest year in my life.

‘So, trying to get through everything else and keep everything on track has been really difficult. But I’m so proud of my wife, I’m proud of my father, for handling the things that they have done.

‘But from a personal family point of view, it’s been, yeah, it’s been brutal.’

Earlier this week, William also said of Kate during an interview before his awards on Wednesday evening: ‘She’s doing really well thanks. And hopefully she is watching tonight.

‘So cheering me on. She’s been amazing this whole year. I know she will be really keen to see tonight be a success.’

Kate travelled to Merseyside four weeks ago with William to meet privately with bereaved families of the Southport stabbing victims before greeting emergency responders in front of the cameras.

That visit on October 10 was her first joint public appearance alongside William since her cancer treatment ended, marking a major milestone in her gradual journey back to public duties.

Kate has also spoken with aides about staging her annual Christmas carol service in December, holding a meeting with her team at Windsor Castle on September 24.

She delivered a bombshell video message in March revealing she was undergoing chemotherapy after post-operative tests following major abdominal surgery showed she had cancer.

Well-wishes flooded in from around the world and the King – who has also had treatment for cancer following his own diagnosis – was said to be ‘so proud’ of his ‘beloved daughter-in-law’ for her courage in speaking out.

In June, Kate looked relaxed during her first day in the spotlight following her diagnosis when she appeared at the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony.

She took part in the carriage procession and joined William and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and other royals on the Palace balcony.

It came the day after a health update from Kate, who was pictured in the grounds of the Windsor Castle estate, standing in a tranquil setting against a weeping willow tree near a lake.

She issued a written message saying she was ‘making good progress’ and had ‘good days and bad days’, but added: ‘I am not out of the woods yet.’

A few weeks later she made another rare appearance when she presented the Wimbledon men’s final trophy to Carlos Alcaraz.

The princess, patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, was accompanied by Charlotte and chatted to ball boys and girls, and entered Centre Court to loud applause.

The Princess announced she had finished her chemotherapy course in a heartfelt video in September, in which she spoke about her experience while footage played of the Waleses and their children enjoying time together outdoors.

She said she was entering ‘this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life’. 

‘The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family,’ she said. 

The Princess added: ‘Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long.’

Then on September 17, Kate was listed in the official record of royal events for the first time since her cancer treatment ended.

She featured in the Court Circular after holding a meeting at Windsor Castle about an issue that aides in the past have described as her life’s work – the early years development of children.

At the start of October, the princess was pictured hugging an aspiring teenage photographer with a rare and aggressive form of cancer after inviting her to take pictures at investitures at Windsor Castle.

Kate met Liz Hatton, 16, from Harrogate, and her family privately after the ceremony with William.

Kate will be joined at tomorrow’s annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance by the King, who became patron of the charity earlier this year.

Also in attendance will be her husband William, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Royal Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent.

The event is staged annually on the Saturday evening of Remembrance weekend.

It honours sacrifices made by the British and Commonwealth armed forces community and includes musical performances and personal testimonies.

This year’s festival will showcase the contribution of the Second World War generation 80 years on from the D-Day landings, and commemorate 25 years since Nato peacekeeping forces were deployed in Kosovo, and 10 years since the withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan.

On Sunday, Charles – who recently completed his first long haul overseas tour since his own cancer diagnosis – will lead the same Royal Family members at the annual Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph.

Thousands of veterans proudly wearing their medals, military families and the public will gather in remembrance of all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. 

The King will lay a wreath of poppies at the base of the memorial, leading the nation in tribute to its fallen servicemen and women.

The design pays tribute to the wreath of Charles’s grandfather King George VI and his mother Queen Elizabeth II.

The wreath’s poppies are mounted on an arrangement of black leaves, which is traditional for the Sovereign, and its ribbon bears the King’s racing colours; scarlet, purple and gold.

The royal racing colours were also incorporated into the wreaths of King George V, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.

Even if Camilla attends the service, her poppy wreath will be placed by an equerry from the Royal Household, as is the custom.

It will also bear her racing colours – brown, red and yellow – inherited from her grandfather, and echoes the wreath of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

Both Charles and Camilla’s wreaths have been produced by the Poppy Factory.

William will lay the wreath previously laid by Charles as the former Prince of Wales, featuring The Prince of Wales feathers. The wreath bears a new ribbon in Welsh red.

Then on Monday, the Duchess of Edinburgh will attend an Armistice Service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

Following the service, Sophie will place a wreath at the Memorial and will be invited to read an Armistice Day service reading. The day will then conclude with a tour of the Arboretum.