Inside Queen Camilla’s health woes: From broken toe to hysterectomy as royal pulls out of engagement after illness

Queen Camilla has been forced to cancel her forthcoming public engagements after being falling ill with a chest infection.

It’s understood that the 77-year-old is recovering at home in Wiltshire and is being monitored by doctors.

Due to her illness, Her Majesty has had to reluctantly withdraw from the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey this Thursday. 

As the daughter of decorated war hero Major Bruce Shand, who earned two military crosses in the Second World War for his bravery, it is a duty she takes extremely diligently and will be seen as a sign of how poorly she is feeling.

The Duchess of Gloucester, 78, will step in for her.

However, Camilla does very much hope to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events, including the ceremony at the Cenotaph on Sunday. 

Camilla will also have to cancel her appearance at a reception at Buckingham Palace in honour of the nation’s Olympic and Paralympic stars this Thursday.

King Charles will still attend, accompanied by his sister Princess Anne. 

The update comes after a year of health troubles for the Royal Family, with both the King and the Princess of Wales being diagnosed with cancer.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘Her Majesty The Queen is currently unwell with a chest infection, for which her doctors have advised a short period of rest.

‘With great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week but she very much hopes to be recovered in time to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events as normal.

‘She apologises to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result.’

The Queen has suffered from a number of injuries and illnesses over the years.

The Queen was seen sporting a bandage on her ankle while attending the special sitting of the States of Deliberation, at Guernsey Parliament in July

In July 2024, she was snapped with a bandaged ankle while at the special sitting of the States of Deliberation at the Guernsey Parliament.

In 2022, upon becoming queen, she was secretly suffering from a broken toe.

Other maladies she’s experienced over the years include back pain, a broken leg, and Covid – which she has had twice. 

Around the beginning of 2021, Her Majesty contracted the coronavirus for the first time, during which period she self-isolated.

Then a year later, in February 2022, she once again contracted the virus, forcing her to cancel engagements and take time off. 

This came after the royal was told by medics to cancel her appearance at a gala dinner in 2019, while ill with a chest infection.

Another engagement she was forced to pull out of was a Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in 2015 – which she could not attend due to neck and shoulder pain.

One of her most extensive medical treatments came in 2010, when the royal underwent a hysterectomy.

The operation meant she had to spend a few days in hospital, followed by a six-week rest. 

Some speculated that the procedure could be cancer-related – particularly as she used to be a smoker – but aides confirmed that it was not. 

That same year, Camilla broke her leg, but despite the injury, she continued to attend engagements, with her leg in plaster, using a wheelchair. 

However, she did have to cancel some further engagements that year after suffering from a painful trapped nerve.

During a tour to eastern Europe with the then-Prince Charles, she was unable to fulfil all her planned appearances in Poland.

Regarding her current illness, MailOnline understands that there is ‘no cause for alarm’ and it is just one of the many ‘seasonal bugs’ that can be picked up at this time of year, especially given her international travel.

Camilla and the King have also just undertaken a gruelling 11-day, 30,000-mile round trip, partly on commercial airlines.

The Queen broke up her journey by visiting an Ayurvedic spa in India for a few days on the way out, and again on the way home for three days, this time with the King.

No further details regarding her illness or treatment have been released, but Camilla is understood to be under doctors’ supervision.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla recently returned from a trip to Samoa (pictured in Apia in October)

News of the Queen’s illness comes ahead of a new ITV documentary in which Camilla vows she will ‘keep trying’ to end domestic violence, until she is ‘able to no more’.

Camilla tells the film, being shown on November 11, that domestic abuse is a ‘heinous crime’ and she is determined to continue raising awareness of the issue.

The Queen was followed over the course of a year for the show looking at her work in this field, including private meetings with survivors and a visit to a refuge centre.

On ending domestic violence, Camilla said in the programme ‘Her Majesty The Queen: Behind Closed Doors’ that it is ‘going to take a long, long time because it has been going on forever’.

She continued: ‘It’s been going since, since time began. But I think if you look at the steps that we’ve taken since the bad old days, we have made a huge amount of progress, and I shall keep on trying until I am able to no more.’