Camilla misses Commonwealth event as she struggles to shake off Covid
The Duchess of Cornwall is said to be 'pacing herself' as she continues to recover from coronavirus.
The Duchess of Cornwall is said to be ‘pacing herself’ as she continues to recover from coronavirus several weeks after contracting it.
As a result she missed one of the Commonwealth Day events yesterday, which saw an annual celebration of 54 countries – most of which used to be part of the British empire.
Although she attended the main service, Camilla skipped out on Prince Charles’s meeting with leaders from the Commonwealth’s young leadership and diplomatic community.
She had revealed last week that she is still recovering from Covid-19, telling a group of charity rowers at Clarence House: ‘Well, it’s taken me three weeks and I still can’t get shot of it.
‘Probably my voice might suddenly go coughing and spluttering.’
The Prince of Wales met the High Commissioners, staff from the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Commonwealth’s civil service, and young leaders from across the world at Marlborough House in London.
He attended the meeting after senior members of the Royal Family stepped up at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey to represent the Queen in her absence.
Her Majesty missed the service for the first time in a decade and stayed at home in Windsor Castle due to her increasing frailty.
The monarch also recovered from coronavirus a few weeks ago, but is understood to be ‘scaling back her diary’ as she prepares to turn 96 in a few weeks.
Despite saying the ‘frailties that come with living a long life’ are catching up with her, a source stressed she is not unwell and is ‘as committed to her duties of state as ever’.
The Queen instead sent a written message to the 2.5 billion citizens in the ‘family of nations’ for the annual celebration yesterday.
She said she hoped the people of the Commonwealth ‘can draw strength and inspiration from what we share’ during these ‘testing times’.
Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton attended the service. The Duchess of Cornwall appeared in good spirits despite her cough.
Performers at the service included Mica Paris and Emeli Sande, and they met Charles and Camilla after the service.
The couple told Mica they liked the song she performed called Mama Said.
Mica said: ‘I’ve done lots of private performances for him over the years.
‘He’s a big Aretha Franklin fan, so I always used to have to sing Aretha for him.’
She joked: ‘Today was really good because it was the first time they liked my songs, it’s not that they don’t like my old songs but he didn’t ask me to sing Aretha.’
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