Queen Camilla to miss royal funeral due to illness: palace

Queen Camilla is shown ahead of King Charles III delivering the speech from the throne in the Senate in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

LONDON, United Kingdom -- Queen Camilla pulled out of attending the Duchess of Kent’s funeral to recover from acute sinusitis on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace announced just hours before U.S. President Donald Trump was to arrive on a state visit.

The queen, 78, is scheduled to accompany King Charles III for a busy programme of royal events during Trump’s state visit on Wednesday and Thursday.

“With great regret, Her Majesty The Queen has withdrawn from attendance at this afternoon’s Requiem Mass for The Duchess of Kent as she is recovering from acute sinusitis,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said.

Camilla is reportedly hoping to recover sufficiently to be able to attend all elements of Trump’s state visit, according to the PA news agency.

She is due to receive the Trumps alongside the king at Windsor Castle on Wednesday around noon local time.

The late duchess, who died aged 92 on Sept. 5, married Prince Edward, Duke of Kent who was the cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, in 1961.

Her funeral service was set to be held on Tuesday at Westminster Cathedral and attended by the 76-year-old king, who is still receiving treatment for cancer, as well as Prince William and the Princess of Wales.

It will be the first Catholic funeral to be held for a member of the Royal Family in modern British history.