Queen Camilla 'devastated to miss Remembrance Sunday service'

Queen Camilla returned to work sooner than recommended following her recovery from pneumonia, as revealed by her son, Tom Parker-Bowles.

Since returning from a royal tour of Australia and Samoa, the Queen has been recovering from the chest infection. Parker-Bowles explained, “She went back to work before she should have, but she’s fine—she’s tough. She hated missing Remembrance Sunday; it’s a significant occasion for her.”

At 49, Parker-Bowles described his mother’s resilience, noting that since becoming Queen, she’s been working harder than ever before. 

He added that “nothing has changed” about his mother, except her increased workload, often discovering her overseas royal engagements through media reports.

Parker-Bowles also shared that the royal couple has faced a challenging two years, marked by significant health struggles.

He previously said: "I know for a fact, I'm not speaking out of school here, that she's utterly devastated to miss the Remembrance Sunday service which is not just important to everybody but hugely important to her as well."

As King Charles continues his cancer treatment, which was diagnosed in February, his stepson Tom Parker-Bowles has confirmed that the treatment is progressing well according to doctors.

Parker-Bowles reflected on the couple’s health struggles, saying, “The older you get, the more you become aware of mortality, especially with illnesses like these.”

Despite this, the Queen has remained dedicated to her royal duties, although her recent chest infection forced her to take a step back from public engagements temporarily.

Looking ahead, Parker-Bowles is set to spend his first Christmas at Sandringham with the royal couple, marking a significant change from his usual holiday celebrations. 

The Queen personally invited her son, saying, “I’d love you to come; I haven’t had Christmas with you for a long time.” The formal nature of the royal Christmas celebrations has often kept Parker-Bowles away in the past, but the couple’s recent health challenges have led to a change of heart.

This year’s holiday gathering will be quite different from Parker-Bowles’s usual festive celebrations with his former wife, ex-fashion editor Sara Buys, and their children.