Queen Camilla’s Ongoing Pneumonia Recovery Could Mean Her and King Charles Skip 1 Big Royal Christmas Tradition
Queen Camilla’s still on the mend, which means Christmas could be different for her and King Charles III. Those close to Queen Camilla say she and the king might change their plans for Dec. 25, 2024, and skip a royal family Christmas tradition to accommodate the queen’s ongoing recovery.
Queen Camilla has skipped appearances due to pneumonia
On the heels of a royal tour with King Charles (more on that ahead), Queen Camilla came down with what was initially described as a “chest infection.” Later it was revealed to be a type of pneumonia.
“[Camilla] has chosen to clarify that the specific viral chest infection she had was a form of pneumonia,” a palace source said. “She has recovered well but continues to experience episodic symptoms of post-viral fatigue.”
She skipped some of the outdoor activities during the Qatari state visit, attending indoor events. Since getting pneumonia in early November, however, Camilla’s been replaced at various events.
Yet another health setback for the royal family, Queen Camilla’s condition has, according to a Daily Beast report, worried her friends. “People forget that Camilla never set out to be Queen,” a source told the outlet.
Camilla, they continued, “never signed up for the hamster wheel. She just happened to fall in love with a Prince. She has risen to the demands of the job but she finds it exhausting.”
Camilla and King Charles may drive to church on Christmas Day instead of walk
Walking to St Mary Magdalene church is a key part of the royal family’s Christmas traditions. Located near the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England, well-wishers—and press—line the path to the church’s entrance and greet members of the royal family as they make their way inside. There’s conversation, waves, bouquets of flowers, and maybe the occasional selfie.
According to one of Queen Camilla’s friends who spoke to the outlet on behalf of the group, walking to church may not happen for her and King Charles this year due to the ongoing pneumonia recovery.
“We are all extremely concerned that this happened. Thank goodness she seems to have recovered,” they said. “Camilla just needs to rest and recuperate now over Christmas and I only hope they drive her and The King to church on Christmas Day if it’s cold!”
Even though Camilla has slowly returned to duties, getting pneumonia has been a big concern, especially considering the “brutal” year she and the royal family have had.
“Prince William said that his year had been ‘brutal’ and the ‘hardest’ of his life,’” a source told the publication. “I would humbly suggest that Camilla has had a brutal year too. To get pneumonia at her age is no small thing. She was run down and vulnerable and she needs to be cared for as well.”
The Australia and Samoa tour might’ve been ‘too much’ for the queen
The queen’s close friends also suggested the royal tour of Australia and Samoa she and King Charles embarked on from Oct. 18-26, 2024, was possibly too much for the queen.
“At 77, to be shipped off to the other side of the world to shake hands with thousands of people when your husband has cancer is, quite frankly, too much to ask,” they told the publication. It marked the pair’s first big royal tour since the king’s cancer diagnosis in February 2024. (King Charles paused treatment for the duration of the trip.)
As the tour ended, Queen Camilla seemingly burst into tears when King Charles mentioned his own mortality in a speech. “I shall always remain devoted to this part of the world and hope that I survive long enough to come back again and see you,” he said.
“Camilla would never complain,” they added. “And, of course, she wanted to support her husband. But she never should have been put in that situation. And she got pneumonia as a result.”
Will it be a Christmas miracle of sorts if Camilla and King Charles walk to church on Dec. 25, 2024? Or will they be driven? Only time will tell if the royal family has a more low-key holiday than usual.
