by Mick the Ram

On the occasion of the state visit to London by the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim, Queen Camilla informed guests that her chest infection which has caused her to miss several recent events, was in actual fact a form of pneumonia.

It is understood that Her Majesty’s condition was viral, not bacterial, but is said to be suffering from post-viral fatigue and as a precaution she was advised by doctors to take her time with her recovery.

For that reason she missed the outdoor elements of the visit which included a greeting at Horse Guards Parade and an escorted carriage procession down the Mall to Buckingham Palace.

Instead, Camilla arrived at the Palace shortly beforehand, giving a smile as she stepped from her car at the Grand Hall, prior to a state banquet.

She is believed to have contracted her illness after a long-haul trip to Australia and Samoa and was too poorly to attend either the Royal Variety Performance, or the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph last month.

The Emir, who was educated in Britain, has a busy schedule of engagements during his brief two-day stay in the country.

Not hospitalised

The 77-year-old Camilla was not taken to hospital with pneumonia, but is now facing bouts of extreme tiredness.

A royal source confirmed that her coughing had subsided and said: “Some days the Queen is on really good form but there has to be a degree of flex in her diary at the moment.”

Took part from the warmth of the palace

Her medical team has advised her to take each day as it comes and on a chilly day it was felt it would not be a wise move to put herself through the stresses of the procession.

She was on good form however, once the visiting party were inside the Palace, as the Emir and his wife were introduced by King Charles and Camilla to the British suite – key members of the Royal Household – who had gathered to wait in a receiving line.

Visit aimed at reinforcing ties

The King and the Emir walked together, followed by the Queen and Sheikha Jawaher – the first of the Emir’s three wives.

The Prince and Princess of Wales then joined for a group photograph ahead of the lavish banquet, along with the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, together with other senior government figures.

The two-day visit by the Emir is expected to celebrate and reinforce UK-Qatari ties economically and strategically, as well as acknowledge Qatar’s recent global diplomatic efforts to de-escalate some of the world’s most pressing crises.

Princess continues her recovery

For Catherine it was another step on the road to recovery, and she looked relaxed on one of her few official appearances, during a year in which she has undergone treatment for cancer; she was not however in attendance at the banquet.

The Princess will however be delivering a heartfelt message at her annual Christmas carol service later this week.