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Camilla today said the Princess of Wales was ‘thrilled by all the kind wishes and support’ as she promised to pass on posters two young girls had made for Kate.
The Queen has become the most senior royal to return to public-facing duties since the monarchy’s double cancer scare as she visited a farmers’ market in Shrewsbury.
Camilla became the leading royal figure after her husband King Charles III’s enlarged prostate treatment and later cancer diagnosis, carrying out a string of royal engagements while the Prince of Wales supported his wife following surgery.
And she was back out on another royal engagement today after Kate’s shock news last Friday that she has been receiving cancer treatment but remaining hopeful.
Camilla met two young girls who made posters for Kate and promised to deliver them, saying: ‘I know that Catherine is thrilled by all the kind wishes and support.’
Charles, who is being treated for cancer, was earlier seen leaving Clarence House in London in his state Bentley limousine, although it is not known where he was going.
Queen Camilla is driven from Clarence House in London today as she heads to Shrewsbury
King Charles III waves to smiling members of the public as he leaves Clarence House today
King Charles III grins to well wishers as he leaves Clarence House in London this morning
Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy in a video released last Friday
Also today, Camilla spoke with traders as she toured the market in the Shropshire town which featured a host of food, artisan, jewellery and craft stalls.
The Queen met with market organisers Jenny and Stuart Jones before touring the historic event which has been held in The Square for almost 20 years.
It has grown into one of the best markets in the area with around 40 traders regularly setting up stall on the first Friday of the month.
She also visited the Old Market Hall where she signed the visitors book, which was also signed by Queen Elizabeth II in 1952, before meeting members of the local Bee Keepers’ Association.
From there Camilla will travel to the recently restored Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, before meeting local volunteer groups.
These include the Shrewsbury Food Hub, Shrewsbury Interfaith forum, Save Our Shropshire and Shropshire Supports Refugees.
It comes after Buckingham Palace yesterday confirmed that Charles is to make his most significant public appearance since he was diagnosed with cancer when he attends church on Easter Sunday.
The King, 75, will join the Queen and other members of the royal family at the annual Easter Mattins Service at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle this weekend.
As the palace announced the forthcoming engagement, Charles was pictured carrying out official duties for the first time since the Princess of Wales shared her cancer news with the nation.
Charles met community and faith leaders from across the UK in London yesterday.
The monarch, with a folded cardboard place name in front of him labelled “HM The King”, was shown in conversation around a large antique table in the Palace’s Billiard Room.
He was welcoming alumni from the Windsor Leadership Trust, which encourages multi-faith dialogue, harmony and understanding at a time of heightened international tensions.
Confirmation of the King’s Easter Sunday appearance came just four days after Kate released an emotional video message revealing she has started a course of preventative chemotherapy.
It will be seen as the King making a move to reassure the public following the shock news.
But the service will be a smaller version of the annual gathering, with less members of the royal family as the King has paused public-facing duties while he continues treatment for cancer himself.
The head of state was described by the Palace as being “so proud” of the princess for her courage in speaking out, and is said to be in “the closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law”.
Kate, the Prince of Wales and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will miss the service on Sunday.
The family are spending the Easter holidays together as they adjust to Kate’s diagnosis, which was discovered in post-operative tests following her major abdominal surgery.
The King’s own treatment for cancer was announced at the start of February, but he has been carrying out low-key official duties behind palace walls.
Although the Easter service is within the grounds of the castle, the King and Queen will be seen arriving by the media.
Royal arrivals at the chapel’s Galilee Porch are often watched by staff living at Windsor, who usually gather on a grassy bank nearby or look on from their doorsteps.
Also yesterday, Camilla hosted an event celebrating the power of reading.
She gathered authors, academics and celebrity supporters for an evening reception at Clarence House to mark new research commissioned by her Queen’s Reading Room literary project.
Dame Joanna Lumley, a supporter of the initiative was asked about Camilla’s prominent role and replied: ‘I think they’re all really dutiful, in theatres if somebody’s ill, somebody steps into their place, we go on with the understudy, we make the show great we keep on going.
‘I think there’s a lot of professional and dutiful public service, public life which goes on that we’ve got so out of kilter with, we find it amazing.
‘We all think she should be blubbing in a corner but that’s not what these people are made of.’
Among the guests were a host of celebrity supporters of the Queen’s Reading Room including the actors Helena Bonham Carter, Sir Derek Jacobi, Rupert Everett, Edward Fox and authors Sir Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Sir Ben Okri.
Camilla, an avid reader whose literary project has grown beyond its roots as an online book club, highlighted the research during a speech.
She said: ‘…in addition to our five a day and our 10,000 steps, we should all be aiming for at least five minutes of reading every day for invaluable benefits for brain health and mental wellbeing.
‘Just as we always suspected, books are good for us – and now science is proving us right!’
Camilla launched her reading room during lockdown and it has grown into a major literary initiative which now has a podcast attracting leading authors and a literary festival in its second year.
