The Prince and his wife spent several minutes chatting with the public today and reassured those asking that the 95-year-old monarch is recovering from slight COVID.
Prince Charles and his wife Camilla charmed the crowds today as they stepped out side by side for the first time since it was made clear that .css-gegin5{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#9a0500;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-gegin5:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Camilla will be called Queen Consort when he is king. And the future king and queen took the opportunity to update the well-wishing public on how the current Queen Elizabeth is doing as she recovers from COVID at Windsor Castle.
As Charles and Camilla made their way down a line-up of people gathered by the pier in Southend-on-Sea, they told those asking that the 95-year-old Queen was doing okay, shook hands and even patted a furry friend or two. Raymond Gibson, 75, from Southend-on-Sea, said that he asked Prince Charles how the Queen was. “I asked how his mum was, he said she’s had very slight COVID so she’s OK,” Raymond said after meeting the Prince. He said about the royals, “I’ve never seen the royal family this close up, it was worth the wait.”
Karin Caten, 40, and Destani David, 21, both from Southend, had waited outside since 8:30 a.m. to see the royal couple’s arrival four hours later. “I’ve got such a love for the royal family,” Karin said as Destani noted how Charles and Camilla “shook everyone’s hands.”
“I said I was glad to hear [the Queen] was doing well,” Karin added after overhearing Raymond’s conversation with the Prince. About Camilla, she said, “I loved Diana and I get why everyone feels the way they do, but I love Camilla too. She’s done enough to have her place.”
Sally Appleby, 66, from Leigh-on-Sea, said it was “wonderful” to meet the royals, adding about Charles, “I thought he looked better than I’d ever imagined.” She said, “I said ‘welcome to Southend.’ And my friend’s got two King Charles spaniels so we held them up…He said ‘Oh these are for me?’ We said ‘Yes because they’re King Charles spaniels.’ And he stroked them.” She added about the royal couple, “They were always meant to be together.” Indeed, Camilla, who has two rescue dogs, also made a beeline for a dog being held up by a member of the public, stroking it before going on to greet assembled dignitaries.
The Queen announced in a message marking her 70 years on the throne on February 6 that it was her “sincere wish” that Camilla would previously be called Queen Consort when Charles is king instead of the lesser title Princess Consort. Since then, there has been little significant backlash to the change.
The elderly monarch was also carrying out duties today after canceling virtual engagements last week due to mild COVID symptoms. She was seen by video link holding audiences from Windsor Castle with the ambassadors of Andorra and the Republic of Chad.
Charles and Camilla were in Southend to mark it becoming a city, with Charles formally presenting the ‘Letters Patent’ to that effect on behalf of the Queen at a council meeting. The British Prime minister announced in October 2021 that Southend would become a city as a tribute to late MP Sir David Amess, who was murdered that month.
In a speech at the council meeting, the Prince honored Sir David’s memory and said, “What we saw in the terrible tragedy in Southend was an attack on democracy, on an open society, on freedom itself. We are seeing those same values under attack today in Ukraine in the most unconscionable way. In the stand we take here, we are in solidarity with all those who are resisting brutal aggression.”
Town & Country Contributing Editor Victoria Murphy has reported on the British Royal Family since 2010. She has interviewed Prince Harry and has travelled the world covering several royal tours. She was the Daily Mirror‘s Royal Correspondent and is a frequent contributor to Good Morning America.
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