Queen Camilla was supported by those closest to her as she attended her first public outing since King Charles’s cancer diagnosis was revealed.
The royal, 76, took a five-hour drive from her husband’s side at Sandringham to Wiltshire to the charity musical evening at Salisbury Cathedral, after the local helipad flooded.
As she arrived at the event, she was flanked by Sarah Troughton, Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire and one of her companions, and the Marchioness of Lansdowne, Fiona Petty-Fitzmaurice, who was also by her side at the Coronation last year.
At the event, Camilla said King Charles, 75, who underwent his first bout of treatment earlier this week, was ‘very touched’ by all the messages of support he has been receiving from around the world.
Ben Abbott, 40, a critical care paramedic for Wiltshire Air Ambulance, said: ‘I do hope His Majesty is doing well Ma’am, we’re all really sad to hear the news.’
Her Majesty replied: ‘He is doing extremely well under the circumstances. He is very touched by all of the letters and messages the public have been sending from everywhere. That’s very cheering.’
Camilla, who hasn’t left her husband’s side since his diagnosis, has been with him in Norfolk all week as he recuperates.
As she made her first public engagement since Buckingham Palace revealed news of his diagnosis, the Queen was supported by two of her closest confidantes.
Marchioness Lansdowne has long been a friend of the Queen’s and supported her during the 1990s when details of her relationship with Charles emerged.
She was also by her side as Camilla was crowned alongside her husband last May. The Marchioness spoke out in support of her friend after Prince Harry’s biography, Spare, was published.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Fiona, the Marchioness of Lansdowne, said Prince Harry’s comments had ‘hurt’ the Queen.
She said: ‘Of course it bothers her, of course it hurts. But she doesn’t let it get to her. ‘Her philosophy is always, “Don’t make a thing of it and it will settle down – least said, soonest mended.”‘
Meanwhile, Sarah is one of the Queen’s six ‘companions’ and has been Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire since 2012 and is the first woman ever to have held the position since it was created in the 16th century.
Sarah is the second cousin of the King as her grandfather was the brother of Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. She also has experience as a lady-in-waiting for Katharine, Duchess of Kent.
The mother-of-three is married to Peter Troughton, who is a trustee of the Royal Collection and also a pro-chancellor at Bath University.
Sarah herself is a trustee of the Community Foundation for Wiltshire and Swindon, where she lives.
Since assuming the role of Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Sarah’s duties have included overseeing the arrangements for royal visits to Wiltshire by members of the Royal Family.
She also represents the monarch and presents awards and medals on his behalf, and liaises with the Wiltshire units of the Armed Forces.
Speaking about Camilla previously on Good Morning Britain, Sarah said: ‘I don’t think there’s much that will surprise you, all I can tell you is that she’s the nicest, kindest, most amusing friend one could possibly have, to all generations, that includes our children.’
In November 2022 it was revealed that Camilla had ditched the traditional ‘Ladies In Waiting’ title for her companions.
Instead she announced her six ‘Queen’s companions’, who provide Her Majesty with support and company.
The Queen had long been scheduled to attend the musical evening to celebrate the work of three Wiltshire charities and travelled five hours from her husband’s side at Sandringham to be there.
A source said: ‘It’s been a tough week but Her Majesty was determined not to let people down. She knows the organisers personally and the charities are three she is very much involved in.
‘Plus she was concerned that if she cancelled at the last minute it would spark all sorts of alarm about His Majesty, who is actually doing well.
‘She’s always been a trouper and decided that if a 400-odd mile, 10-hour round trip was the only way to do it, then that’s what she would do.’
The Queen has a home in Lacock, Wiltshire, and she chatted with the air ambulance medics about their work. Mr Abbott said: ‘I told her we always wave when we fly over Lacock and she said she always waves back.’
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
