The Queen is unwell with a chest infection and has withdrawn from her engagements this week, Buckingham Palace has announced.

Queen Camilla, 77, who has not long returned from a busy official overseas tour to Australia and Samoa, is understood to be resting at her home in Wiltshire.

The update comes after a year of difficult health troubles for the royal family, with both the King and the Princess of Wales being diagnosed with cancer.

A Palace spokesman said: “Her Majesty The Queen is currently unwell with a chest infection, for which her doctors have advised a short period of rest.

“With great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week but she very much hopes to be recovered in time to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events as normal.

“She apologises to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result.”

Royal expert Chris ship shared Buckingham Palace's statement on X (Twitter), adding: "We understand she’s resting at home in Wiltshire."

Although King Charles and Queen Camilla spend most of their time at their official royal residence, Clarence House, in the heart of central London, Camilla has also owned a Wiltshire mansion since the early nineties which was where she retreated to following a week of national mourning after Queen Elizabeth II's death.

The Duchess of Gloucester has now stepped in to attend the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday on the Queen’s behalf.

Camilla has also pulled out of attending the Buckingham Palace reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes hosted by the King the same evening.

No further details regarding her illness or treatment have been released, but she is understood to be being cared for under doctors’ supervision.

Meanwhile, the King was carrying on with his duties at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, holding audiences with two new ambassadors and a high commissioner.

Queen Camilla on her visit to the Samoa Victim Support GroupQueen Camilla on her visit to the Samoa Victim Support Group (Image: PA) The 75-year-old monarch welcomed Qatari ambassador Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Saud Al-Thani; Rajendre Khargi, who is the ambassador from the Republic of Suriname; and the High Commissioner for the Republic of Vanuatu, Georges Maniuri, who presented their credentials in the 1844 room.

Charles and Camilla spent around two weeks out of the UK for their nine-day official tour.

They stopped off in India for a luxury spa break on their return flight from Samoa, with the King following advice to take periods of rest to prioritise his cancer recovery.

The royal couple were reported to have spent three days at the £3,000-a-week holistic Soukya resort in Bangalore, known for its yoga programmes and Ayurvedic treatments.