Camilla attends Qatar state banquet after revealing battle with pneumonia – live updates

Soccer star David Beckham and his wife Victoria attended their first state banquet at the Buckingham Palace in honour of the Qatari royals.

The ex-England captain and the former Spice Girl turned fashion designer – dubbed “Posh and Becks” – were among the 170 guests in the Palace ballroom yesterday evening.

He was invited due to his close relationship with Qatar following his stint as a paid ambassador for the country when it hosted the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

The esteemed guests will dine on an expansive menu of Windsor pheasant, Cornish lobsters and a Balmoral plum sorbet, joining guests such as prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and the Prince of Wales.

Missing was the Princess of Wales, who is gradually returning to public duties after her cancer treatment and who left earlier in the day after the lunch and Picture Gallery exhibition.

The Queen, who is suffering from post-viral fatigue after having pneumonia, stepped out for the state banquet for the Qatari royals at Buckingham Palace.

The Queen joined the King and the Prince of Wales to welcome the Emir of Qatar and his wife who are on a state visit to the UK.

Camilla wore a deep red velvet evening gown and towering Diamond Kokoshnik Tiara that belonged to the late Queen, as did her diamond necklace to welcome the guests.

The high-profile guest list included David and Victoria Beckham in the Buckingham Palace Ballroom on Tuesday evening.

She marked her appearance after missing the outdoor ceremonial welcome on Horse Guards Parade yesterday, waiting in the warm inside the Palace instead, where she told guests she had suffered from pneumonia.

The Queen has told guests at the state visit that her chest infection was a form of pneumonia.

Camilla is suffering from post-viral fatigue and is missing the outdoor elements of the Qatari visit after being urged by her doctors to take more time to recover.

It is understood Camilla’s condition was viral, not bacterial, and she no longer has pneumonia.

The Queen missed the outdoor ceremonial welcome on a chilly Horse Guards Parade on Tuesday.

Instead, she arrived at Buckingham Palace shortly beforehand, giving a smile as she stepped from her car at the Grand Entrance.

Camilla, 77, waited for the Emir of Qatar and his wife inside, in the warm surroundings of the Grand Hall.

She contracted her chest infection after a long haul trip to Australia and Samoa and has pulled out a series of engagements since then, including the the Royal Variety Performance, the Gladiator II premiere and the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph.

It is understood the Queen was not taken to hospital with pneumonia, but is now facing bouts of extreme tiredness.

The Princess of Wales’s attendance at the Horse Guards Parade ceremony marks the start of a busier week for her.

Kate will be hosting her annual Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey on Friday, when she is expected to be joined by her children and husband for the event.

The princess has been gradually returning to royal duties after she announced in September she had completed her chemotherapy treatment and her focus was “doing what I can to stay cancer free”.

Her participation in the ceremony on Horse Guards Parade is one of her few official appearances this year.

She will travel with her husband in the carriage procession and the couple will join Charles and Camilla as they host a lunch for their guests Sheikh Tamim and Sheikha Jawaher.

However, Kate will not attend the state banquet hosted by the King, although William will be a guest.

At an inquest into his death held at Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court on Tuesday, Lady Gabriella, 43, called for people to be warned about the effects of medications used to treat mental health conditions or she feared more people could die.

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Speaking about the Queen’s pneumonia a royal source said: “Some days the Queen is on really good form. It’s just one of those things.

“She has lost the coughing but the lingering side of it is bouts of extreme tiredness.

“There has to be a degree of flex in the Queen’s diary at the moment.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell Foundation received a contribution of five million dollars (£4 million) last year from an unnamed donor, documents show.

According to the charity’s tax form for the year 2023, the donation was made by a person who is not named and is the largest contribution listed in the document. The form also showed that the foundation had given a 250,000 dollar (£198,000) grant to a women’s wellness centre founded by US President Joe Biden’s daughter Ashley.

According to the tax document, the charity made around 5.7 million dollars (£4.5 million) in revenue in 2023, up from just over two million dollars (£1.6 million) the year before. In 2021, its first year of operation, Archewell received 13 million dollars (£10.3 million) in contributions.

Last year, the charity distributed over 1.3 million dollars (£1 million) in grants, a slight decrease from around 1.2 million dollars (£947,000) in 2022.

The 2023 filing showed that Harry and Meghan did not take salaries but Shauna Nep, co-executive director, treasurer and secretary was paid 272,241 dollars (£215,000) and executive director and president James Holt was paid 228,500 dollars (£180,000), including a 10,000 dollar (£7,900) bonus each.