Queen Camilla has enjoyed a private family outing to the theatre amid reports that the Duke and Duchess of York have cancelled their Christmas plans at Sandringham.
The Queen, 77, was pictured arriving at the Fortune Theatre to watch Operation Mincemeat in a Ford Transit minibus rather than the State Bentley usually used for family gatherings.
Her Majesty was joined by her daughter Laura Lopes, son-in-law Harry Lopes, grandchildren Louis, Gus, and Eliza Lopes, granddaughter Lola Parker Bowles, and her niece Alice Irwin.
After the show had concluded, the Queen took the vehicle back home to Clarence House instead of taking a royal escort.
Queen Camilla enjoyed a private family outing to the theatre
PA
The Queen’s security was also pictured carrying her private cushion, ensuring her comfort throughout the evening as she still recovered from lingering side effects from pneumonia.
The theatre show, which is also a 2021 film, tells the story of a top-secret World War II mission in which British intelligence used a daring and unconventional plan to deceive the Nazis, helping to change the course of the war.
The musical, running until April 2025, is described as “fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievably true” in the show’s description.
It reads: “The year is 1943, and we’re losing the war.”
Queen Camilla announced she was suffering from lingering side effects from a form of pneumonia in November
PA
It added: “Luckily, we’re about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse.
“Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Noel Coward meets Noel Fielding, Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II. The question is, how did a well-dressed corpse wrong-foot Hitler?”
The Queen last stepped out for a royal engagement on December 12, when she welcomed families of seriously ill children to her annual Christmas lunch at Clarence House.
During the public appearance the Queen admitted her eagerness to reach the end of what has been a challenging year.
In November, the 77-year-old announced she was suffering from lingering side effects from a form of pneumonia she picked up when returning from her and King Charles’s royal autumn tour of the South Pacific.
She withdrew from royal engagements, including the Remembrance Weekend and the Royal Variety Performance, following doctor’s advice to prioritise rest.
Camilla is understood to have recovered just in time for the festivities at Sandringham, from which Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson have reportedly withdrawn.
Princess Beatrice and Eugenie are also not expected to attend the annual Christmas celebrations in Norfolk, spending the period with their in-laws instead.
