Queen Camilla is taking a week off from her royal duties, and while there has been much speculation as to why, Harper’s Bazaar has learned it’s simply royal custom.
At this time every year, ahead of Easter, the British royal family usually takes a break, and Camilla’s absence from public engagements is just that, rather than connected to King Charles III’s health—or Princess Catherine’s health, at that.
Bazaar has also learned that Camilla jetted off to a private location today, to begin her mini holiday.
As readers know, Camilla and Prince William have been stepping in for Charles while he undergoes treatment for cancer. Buckingham Palace said in a statement last month that the monarch had begun outpatient treatment and would be opting out of several public engagements as he heals. The palace added: “He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible.”
Camilla also provided an update on Charles’s condition early last month, when she attended a musical event at Salisbury Cathedral in support of local charities. “Well, he’s doing extremely well under the circumstances,’’ the queen consort said, according to NBC. “He’s very touched by all the letters and the messages the public have been sending from everywhere—that’s very cheering.”
William has also been going on solo engagements on behalf of wife Kate, who had a planned abdominal surgery in January and has been out of commission since. Today, March 4, the Princess of Wales was actually seen out and about for the first time since Christmas.
After speculation about Kate’s long disappearance broke out online last week, Kensington Palace said in a statement obtained by Bazaar that it would continue to respect her privacy regarding her surgery. “We were very clear from the outset that the Princess of Wales was out until after Easter and Kensington Palace would only be providing updates when something was significant,” the statement said.
Rosa Sanchez is the senior news editor at Harper's Bazaar, working on news as it relates to entertainment, fashion, and culture. Previously, she was a news editor at ABC News and, prior to that, a managing editor of celebrity news at American Media. She has also written features for Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, Forbes, and The Hollywood Reporter, among other outlets.
