Queen Camilla is “devastated and exhausted” coping with the King’s cancer, sources say

Friends of Queen Camilla have told The Daily Beast that she is “devastated and completely exhausted” by the pressures of dealing with her husband King Charles' illness and leading the royal family, after it was revealed that Camilla will take leave this week from her job for a foreigner. vacation.

However, the friend said she did not complain about the expectations placed on her and was “proud to support her husband.”

“She is absolutely devastated and exhausted by the turmoil of the last two months,” one of Camila's friends told The Daily Beast. “She's 76 years old, and her husband has just been diagnosed with cancer. Anyone would find that to be a lot to deal with, without the media scrutiny that also comes with her position.”

Another family friend told The Daily Beast: “Camila has had to do everything in recent months, and it's no secret she was tired. She was under extraordinary pressure at a time in her life when most people were in retirement. You'll never hear her moan about it because she knows it goes with the territory, but everyone is so happy that she's taking some time for herself, especially since this could continue for several more months.

Camilla was one of the few senior family members to carry on with a full slate of public engagements after both Kate Middleton and Charles had to step down from their duties due to ill health and William chose to take on a reduced workload to prioritize his family during his wife's recovery. Other senior family members still carrying out public duties are Charles' sister, Princess Anne, his brother, Prince Edward, and Edward's wife, Sophie.

When asked how Camilla felt about doing so much more work than she probably expected – Camilla has carried out 13 official duties since the king's cancer diagnosis was announced on February 5, and has been the public face of the monarchy ever since – one of her friends said: “It wasn't As you'd expect, but as anyone who knows her will tell you, she's not a complainer. She's proud to support her husband. We're all so glad she went ahead and got this week off.

When asked if they knew where Camilla had gone, the friend would only say that her destination was abroad and very private. The Daily Beast was unable to confirm her destination. The palace did not respond to a request for comment.

Toby Melville – Reuters

However, there is no doubt that her absence has left the royal family, which was noticeably understaffed before, looking even more threadbare.

While there are growing calls in mainstream and social media for William to return to a full schedule of engagements, especially after he canceled a high-profile appearance at a memorial service for his godfather, the last king of Greece, last week, The Daily Beast is said to be determined to stick around. with his attitude and maintain a light schedule until his wife fully recovers, likely around Easter. The couple is not expected to travel abroad much, if at all, this year.

However, another source has questioned the idea of ​​Camilla going on a foreign holiday when the royal family appears to be understaffed and under pressure.

A former palace staffer told The Daily Beast: “I'm all for Camilla taking a holiday, she needs it, but my personal view is that it would probably be a mistake for her to get on a plane. The reason the Queen never travels abroad for holidays “It's that her staff can't protect their privacy abroad in the same way they can at the Royal Estate. With everything going on, this is not the ideal time to relax by the pool. If she had stayed in the UK they wouldn't even have to announce anything.”