Camilla Reportedly Pauses Royal Engagements After Stepping Up To Lead Family In Wake Of Charles’ Health Crisis

Mar 05, 2024 by apost team

Early 2024 saw the British royal family rocked by news of serious health issues. Buckingham Palace first announced on Jan. 17, 2024, that King Charles III was scheduled to undergo hospital treatment the following week for an enlarged prostate. The next day, his wife, Queen Camilla, revealed Charles felt “fine” and was “looking forward to getting back to work.” 

That same day, Kensington Palace revealed in a statement that the Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, had undergone abdominal surgery that had been scheduled the day prior in the London Clinic. It said the surgery had been “successful” and that the princess would remain at the hospital for a 10–14-day recovery period. However, the statement added that Kate is not expected to return to her usual royal duties until after Easter.

News of the pair’s hospitalization led to an outpouring of well wishes and support from their supporters across the world. This came as no surprise as both Charles and Kate are among some of the most popular members of the royal family.

After Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away on Sept. 8, 2022, Charles ascended the throne. In the past, Charles’ personal life had been fodder for the media, but the king looked to put the past behind him. As king, Charles worked hard to ensure the royal family remained in good standing with the public, moving with the times to keep the institution from being viewed as archaic, antiquated and out of touch.

Kate also contributes to the royal family's popularity. Since her marriage to Prince William in April 2011, she’s captured the hearts of the public with her duty to the British crown, her kind and attentive nature, and her fashionable sense of style. 

With both Charles and Kate in recovery, other royals, such as Camilla, stepped up to lead the charge on royal commitments to the public.

On Jan. 26, 2024, King Charles III was admitted to the London Clinic, where he underwent treatment. He stayed for three nights before being discharged. However, the palace announced the postponement of all his prior engagements to allow him sufficient rest and recuperation. In the following days, Queen Camilla again stated that Charles had been “doing his best” since the treatment before the pair made their first public appearance together on Feb. 4, 2024, at Sandringham Church. There, Charles gave the crowd a reassuring wave, lifting the people’s spirits. However, this reassurance was short-lived, as Buckingham Palace released devastating news the next day.

It revealed that, during Charles’ prostate treatment, “diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer,” while stressing it was not prostate cancer. It said the king had “commenced a schedule of regular treatments” while his public-facing duties were postponed on the advice of his doctors. However, the 75-year-old monarch would “continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual,” it added.

Meanwhile, Kensington Palace did not elaborate on what specific health issue Kate Middleton was suffering from but stressed it was not cancer-related. The public was quick to offer their well-wishes for a speedy recovery as the media jumped into high gear, with reports the princess had slipped into a coma being resoundingly refuted as “total nonsense.” Scores of photographers were assigned to the London Clinic in an attempt to garner photos of the princess upon her departure. They were, however, unsuccessful, as news would later surface that Kate had left the hospital without her exit being spotted. 

Twelve days later, on Jan. 29, 2024, the palace released another statement revealing that Kate had returned to her residence in Windsor Castle to continue recuperating from the surgery and that she was “making good progress.”

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Since news of Charles and Kate’s health issues broke, the media and public have noted the difference in approach taken by the pair. In Kate's case, the public was informed about her condition only after her admission and surgery. Many believed this approach was taken for Kate's privacy, alluded to in her team’s statement that said they hoped “the public will understand (Kate’s) desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.”

Charles, however, opted to take a more transparent approach. He allowed his procedure for benign prostate enlargement to be made publicly known and chose not to keep his cancer diagnosis private. This was a conscious decision, as noted in the Palace’s statement that read:

“His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer.”

Later, in a message of thanks to the public, Charles elaborated on the decision, saying it was “equally heartening to hear how sharing my own diagnosis has helped promote public understanding and shine a light on the work of all those organisations which support cancer patients and their families across the UK and wider world.”

A royal family insider concurred that it was “sensible to be more open about it, as otherwise, people might have thought the worst.” 

Charles’ choice was also not lost on the public. Many wished the “wonderful king and human being” a speedy recovery and praised him for his “strength and honesty” in being transparent about his health issues, and said it would “make a difference to so many.”

After Charles stepped back from his public-facing duties, Queen Camilla stepped up, appearing at events such as a ceremony at Clarence House on Feb. 13, 2024, where she was installed as Honorary Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers. The company can be traced back to 1670 after a petition to Parliament about the threat of imported fans led to the guild's formation.

Camilla has been praised for stepping up in the absence of the king. Royal watcher Roberts Fiorito said:

“To see Camilla step up, keep calm and carry on, and knowing what she’s also managing with her own kind of reactions and mental health over what’s going on with her husband, it’s the whole difference between duty and family.”

Royal commentator Angela Levin said:

“So she would do her absolute best to stand by (Charles). She never wanted to be in the spotlight and she disliked giving speeches. But she’s learned all that and I think it’s a marvelous thing that she's done.”

However, according to The Sunday Times, the 76-year-old’s schedule was cleared of her royal duties for a week from March 4, 2024. This gave her a much-needed break after 13 official engagements since Charles’ diagnosis was announced to spend time with him and her own family. She makes a welcome return on March 11, 2024, to represent Charles and lead the royal family at Westminster Abbey for the Commonwealth Day service. 

A royal source also told the outlet that while Camilla “was not expecting to find herself in the position of leading the family, the Queen is absolutely prepared to do whatever needs to be done for the institution.”

An insider also claimed Charles is said to be “proud and pleased” with Camilla and the manner in which she has stepped up to lead the royal family after his diagnosis.

We wish both King Charles III and the Princess of Wales the best on their road to recovery. What are your thoughts on Queen Camilla stepping up on royal duties as they recuperate? We'd love to hear your thoughts and well wishes for their family during this challenging time. Feel free to let us know your messages and pass this along to your family and friends who may want to do the same.