Queen cancels trip to Gladiator II premiere over chest infection
The Queen has pulled out of a trip to the premiere of Gladiator II on Wednesday evening as she continues to recover from a chest infection.
She briefly attended a Clarence House reception later on Tuesday, however, and will join a reception for those working in the television and film industry at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday afternoon, a royal source confirmed.
But mindful of the need to rest, the Queen will not join the King for the film premiere.
She also will not be with her husband for an official engagement marking his birthday on Thursday.
During her appearance at Clarence House, the Queen was greeted in the Garden Room by Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation.
She said: “I’m getting much better,” adding: “Bit of sort of coughing going on but I really wanted to be here.”
The Queen, wearing a Me+Em shirt and a black Fiona Clare pinafore, posed for photographs with the six finalists before speaking to them in turn, telling them she was “so impressed” by their writing.
When two-time finalist Percival Everett, author of James, enquired about her health, she replied: “I’m on the mend, these things always take a bit of time to get rid of... but hopefully I’m on the mend now.”
She told Mr Everett and Rachel Kushner, who has also previously been shortlisted for the award, that it was quite an achievement to be nominated twice.
“I’ve been lucky,” Mr Everett said to much laughter, prompting the Queen to respond: “No, I don’t think it’s lucky. It’s skill.
“Skill counts for quite a lot of it. All of it actually, there’s no luck involved here.”
The Queen also revealed that she and the King had enjoyed a “lovely time” in Sydney on their recent tour, before telling Edmund de Waal, chair of the 2024 judging panel, that she “loved” his latest book.
The Booker Prize winner is set to be announced later on Tuesday.
Remained at home on doctors’ advice
The news that she will be returning to duties, albeit in a limited capacity, comes after the Queen was forced to pull out of a string of high-profile engagements in recent days, including the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph.
Acting on doctors’ advice, she remained at home on bedrest throughout the weekend.
Both the Princess of Wales, who only recently completed her chemotherapy treatment, and the King, who is still undergoing weekly cancer treatment, were at the event.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said that the Queen was greatly disappointed at being unable to attend, but that she hoped to return to her duties this week. Instead, she marked the day privately at Ray Mill, her Wiltshire home.
The Queen, who is the patron of The Poppy Factory, was also forced to pull out of the opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey last Thursday, and cancelled plans to attend a reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
Last Tuesday, Buckingham Palace revealed the Queen was unwell with a chest infection and that doctors had advised a short period of rest.
It came shortly after she accompanied the King on a tour of Australia and Samoa, the first official long-haul trip of his reign.
The 10-day tour involved several engagements in heavy rain.
En route home, the couple stopped for a break at an Indian wellness retreat.
