Queen Camilla has been forced to pull out of this year’s Remembrance Day events due to an illness, leaving her devastated to miss the annual events she holds close to her heart.
She was previously expected to attend the events alongside King Charles and other members of the Royal Family and has consistently demonstrated a deep personal commitment to honouring the sacrifices of those who served in Britain’s armed forces.
Suffering from a chest infection meant Camilla missed today’s ceremony at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in central London, where King Charles led the nation in placing a wreath at the Cenotaph as crowds, including military veterans, looked on.
The Princess of Wales watched from a balcony at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office alongside Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh.
Queen Camilla, 77, is said to have dearly wanted to pay tribute in person to the nation’s fallen, as the service at the Cenotaph is an important fixture that holds meaning.
Her Majesty has an emotional closeness due to the military service of her war hero, late father, Major Bruce Shand, who died aged 89 in June 2006.
He joined the 12th Lancers as a second lieutenant in January 1937, became a troop leader of ‘A’ Squadron, and then a lieutenant in 1940.
He also served during the Second World War in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force and was awarded the Military Cross in July 1940 after helping cover the withdrawal of forces from Dunkirk.
Later, he was sent to North Africa as part of the 7th Armoured Division in September as a captain and won his second MC in January 1942.
He retired from the armed forces in April 1947 due to disability and was given the honorary rank of major.
Major Shand had written a book in 1990 about his Second World War experiences, and Camilla once read extracts from the book at an event marking VE Day in May 2020.
She said: “My father was a soldier in the war, and we could never get him to talk about it. But when the grandchildren came along, he started talking about it, and we got him to write a small book about it. I think it was a huge load off his mind to be able to tell people about it.”
The Royal British Legion’s parade involved 10,000 veterans representing 326 different armed forces and civilian organisations.
Last night, Camilla also missed the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall. It was attended by Princess Kate, her husband, King Charles, and Prince William, as well as other members of the Royal Family.
Remembrance Weekend commemorates significant milestones this year. These include the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, 25 years since Nato peacekeeping forces were deployed in Kosovo, and 10 years since British troops withdrew from Afghanistan.