Queen Camilla (left) and Kate Middleton on Dec. 3
Queen Camilla looked vibrant in red at the Buckingham Palace state dinner on Tuesday, Dec. 3, held in honor of the Emir of Qatar, after missing the arrival ceremony earlier in the day while she recovers from pneumonia.
Last month, Buckingham Palace said Queen Camilla canceled multiple events due to a chest infection, including Remembrance events. It is understood that she is recovering well, but continues experiencing episodic symptoms of post-viral fatigue from the chest infection. She told guests at the palace Tuesday that the recent infection was a form of pneumonia.
King Charles and Camilla, 77, hosted Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani, at the palace on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Camilla posed for photos with the Emir and Sheikha Jawaher, but left during the receiving line. She is expected to attend the dinner and farewells during the final day of the state visit.
Camilla wore a red velvet Fiona Clare evening dress and the diamond Kokoshnik tiara, per The Telegraph. She accessorized with a necklace that previously belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen was seen earlier in the day in good spirits when she arrived at Buckingham Palace to meet the Qatari delegation for a luncheon and viewing objects with links to Qatar.
While other royal family members attended, including Prince William, Kate Middleton skipped the dinner. However, Kate did help welcome the quests of honor earlier in the day. The Princess of Wales, 42, recently completed chemotherapy and has slowly returned to royal duties.
In his speech, King Charles, 76, said the evening “may be seen as a homecoming,” as the Emir studied in the U.K.
“Just as our parents served and worked hard to confront the challenges of their ages, so too must we,” Charles said. “And at such times of uncertainty and upheaval, old friendships assume ever greater importance.”
The state dinner was also a first for David Beckham and his wife, Victoria Beckham. The former soccer star, 49, served as an ambassador for the 2022 World Cup hosted in Qatar and was recently made an ambassador for The King’s Foundation.
After announcing her infection on Nov. 5, Queen Camilla skipped the Gladiator II premiere on Nov. 13 and the Royal Variety Performance on Nov. 22. During a reception at Clarence House on Nov. 12, she said she was “obviously getting much better, bit of sort of coughing going on.”
On Wednesday, Dec. 4, Queen Camilla is scheduled to appear at the Entente Littéraire Prize Ceremony with Brigitte Macron, the First Lady of France, in London.