Prior to her husband, the king, receiving a diagnosis, Queen Camilla had already been demonstrating her support for individuals battling cancer.
For over 15 years, she has served as the president of Maggie’s, a charity that supports those with cancer. She often communicates with patients and employees at their locations. Just last Wednesday, she attended the opening of a new center at the Royal Free hospital in London. However, it was later revealed that she had already been informed of her husband’s illness.
The next day, she was welcomed by students in Bath, toured a collection of homes for the elderly, and participated in a ceremony honoring the St John’s foundation at Bath Abbey.
Last Friday, she visited a community center in Cambridge where she met Strictly Come Dancing’s Johannes Radebe and Tasha Ghouri from Love Island. She joked with Tasha that she hasn’t watched the show, but her children have.
At the age of 76, the queen has a demanding schedule with 233 royal engagements completed last year. She will continue to have numerous engagements while the king is unavailable.
According to Buckingham Palace, while her husband receives treatment, the queen will maintain her full schedule of engagements, even though he may be reducing his public appearances.
In less than a year and a half since becoming queen, the woman who was previously seen as a danger to the monarchy now must take on a significant role in maintaining the smooth operation of the royal family.
Unfortunately, a significant portion of this responsibility will also be placed on Prince William. This week, he has hastily resumed his royal duties, while the Princess of Wales remains unable to fulfill her duties due to recovering from abdominal surgery. As a result, Queen Camilla’s role has become even more crucial.
A woman with a straightforward image, who was once complimented by her husband as “friendly and grounded”, will likely focus on staying composed and persevering.
In the past, Camilla acknowledged that her schedule can be exhausting. During a visit to Brunei in 2017, she told the Sultan’s wife that her duties are demanding and leave her feeling drained. She also mentioned that as she gets older, it becomes even more tiring. She tries to remind others that she is not as young as she once was and needs to pace herself.
She has experienced personal health issues, including a hysterectomy, a broken leg and toe, and frequent sinusitis.
“The addition of this responsibility will create additional pressure for her,” states Peter Hunt, a royal expert and former BBC reporter. “Her physical well-being has not been as strong as his, until now. It is worth noting that she has adapted remarkably well, considering she has only been a part of the royal family for a few decades.”
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As the new queen, she must navigate the delicate balance between meeting her partner’s needs and fulfilling her responsibilities as the highest-ranking member of the royal family.
“Individually, the palaces must review their schedules and determine if they can accommodate all requested events, or if they need to decrease the number.”
The institution is currently experiencing a period of stress, as there is uncertainty about when the individual will return to their public duties.
The queen serves as the patron or president of over 90 organizations. The royal family’s commitment is to not disappoint these organizations by cancelling or rescheduling events.
According to aides, although the king may be missing some scheduled events, he will still fulfill his constitutional duties by managing state documents and daily government tasks from his residence.
Hunt states that although the queen may be tempted to join him there, it is crucial for the royal family that she remains visible.
The institution commonly agrees that the king’s mother’s saying remains true: one must be visible in order to be trusted. With the king’s absence, who takes on this role? There are not as many individuals fulfilling this duty as there used to be.
Source: theguardian.com