Queen Camilla has withdrawn from several scheduled engagements this week due to a chest infection, according to Buckingham Palace. Doctors have advised her to take a short period of rest at home, although she hopes to recover in time to attend Remembrance events over the weekend. The 77-year-old Queen will miss the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday, where she will be represented by the Duchess of Gloucester. She returned to the UK last Wednesday after a trip with King Charles to Australia and Samoa, which included a stopover in India. While there is no cause for alarm regarding her health, the Palace's announcement suggests that her plans to attend weekend engagements indicate a relatively minor illness, likely contracted during her long-haul travels. The upcoming Remembrance events will feature the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday and a commemorative service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall on Sunday morning. However, the Queen will miss the Field of Remembrance commemoration on Thursday, an event she has attended as the senior royal in recent years, where memorials are placed outside Westminster Abbey for those who lost their lives serving in the armed forces. Additionally, she will miss a Buckingham Palace reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes hosted by King Charles on Thursday evening. A statement from the Palace read: "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." The Queen and King recently returned from their royal tour in Australia and Samoa, which included a summit of Commonwealth leaders. Queen Camilla has also contributed to a documentary aimed at raising awareness about domestic violence, set to be broadcast next week. Meanwhile, King Charles is expected to resume his cancer treatment upon his return from the overseas trip after it was paused during their travels. — BBC
