Queen Camilla arrived on the Isle of Man to present the Letters Patent conferring City status on the Borough of Douglas earlier today.
Cheering crowds and Ellan Vannin pipes and drums lined the streets as Her Majesty, 76, arrived at Douglas Borough Council this afternoon, shortly after landing at Ronaldsway Airport.
It is a significant day for the council with Camilla set to sign the Letters Patent conferring City status on the Borough of Douglas, which was awarded during the 2022 Platinum Jubilee.
King Charles III would have been at the memorable service but has reduced public engagements following his cancer diagnosis.
Nonetheless, a cheerful Camilla represented Charles, 75, and delivered a speech on his behalf.
Queen Camilla arrived at Douglas Borough Council in Douglas, Isle of Man, earlier this afternoon
Waving Union Jack flags in their hands, excited school children patiently waited outside the building to welcome the Queen to Douglas.
Upon Her Majesty’s arrival, Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer greeted Camilla outside the City Hall.
Looking typically elegant, Camilla donned an all-blue ensemble with a mid-length tailored coat, an opulent sapphire brooch, and a matching navy blue Chanel bag.
The Queen completed her ensemble with her favourite black suede boots from Eliot Zed.
The mother-of-two appeared in high spirits as she greeted council members outside the Douglas City Hall.
Once inside, Camilla delivered a speech on behalf of the King before presenting the Letters Patent, confirming the capital of the Isle of Man as a city.
Douglas was awarded the elevated status during Queen Elizabeth’s 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Alongside Natalie Byron-Teare, Mayor of Douglas, Camilla conducted a short walkabout around the hall.
Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer (left) greeted Queen Camilla upon her arrival to Douglas Borough Council
Ellan Vannin pipes and drums played in the streets outside the City Hall to welcome Queen Camilla
School children lined the streets and waved Union Jack flags as they waited for Camilla’s arrival
Looking typically stylish, Her Majesty donned an all-blue ensemble to confer City status on the Borough of Douglas
After Camilla signed the letters, she unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion alongside Natalie Byron-Teare, Mayor of Douglas (left)
After Camilla signed the Letters Patent, she unveiled a commemorative plaque outside the City Hall before meeting with members of the public – and even waving for a selfie with one.
Camilla’s visit follows explosive claims that at least one staff member had attempted to access personal details about Kate following her planned abdominal surgery in January.
The chief executive of the London Clinic, Al Russell, finally broke his silence this afternoon, saying in a statement: ‘Everyone at the London Clinic is acutely aware of our individual, professional, ethical and legal duties with regards to patient confidentiality.
‘We take enormous pride in the outstanding care and discretion we aim to deliver for all our patients that put their trust in us every day.
‘We have systems in place to monitor management of patient information and, in the case of any breach, all appropriate investigatory, regulatory and disciplinary steps will be taken.
‘There is no place at our hospital for those who intentionally breach the trust of any of our patients or colleagues.’
The Princess is said to be aware of the allegations, while a spokesperson for Kensington Palace said: ‘This is a matter for the London Clinic.’
Her Majesty appeared cheerful as she signed a book at Douglas Borough Council
Camilla smiled as she shook the hand of a confident young school child waiting outside of the City Hall
It proved to be a lighthearted moment for Camilla, as she giggled while meeting the young man
It wasn’t just school children that Camilla greeted in Douglas earlier today, but also a newborn baby
Earlier today the health secretary Maria Caulfield, who is herself a nurse, said the rules were ‘very clear’ about the ban on accessing private medical information for no medical purpose.
She told LBC: ‘My understanding is that police have been asked to look at it – whether they take action is a matter for them.
‘But the Information Commissioner can also take prosecutions, can also issue fines, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and other health regulators can strike you off the register if the breach is serious enough.
‘So there are particularly hefty implications if you are looking at notes for medical records that you should not be looking at.’
Despite Ms Caulfield’s claims, the Met said it ‘was not aware of any referral at this time’.
The princess was admitted to the hospital for abdominal surgery on January 16.
Details of Kate’s condition have not been disclosed but Kensington Palace previously said it was not cancer related and that the princess wished for her personal medical information to remain private.
School children lined the streets of Douglas to welcome the Queen while waving handmade flags
Camilla looked pleased to accept two colourful bouquets of tulips from members of the public
Queen Camilla and Mayor of Douglas, Natalie Byron-Teare (right), departed Douglas Borough Council after the ceremony
Members of the council stood at the bottom of the staircase as Camilla left the City Hall
It comes after King Charles has been seen leaving Clarence House followed by Queen Camilla after days of royal conspiracy theories.
Footage shows crowds of royal fans lined up to see the monarchs leave in their cars surrounded by security today.
One video shows Camilla smiling and waving at the public from the back seat of her car as she passes along the Mall.
The King and Queen’s appearances follow days of growing conspiracy theories regarding the Royal Family, after The Princess of Wales made a surprise visit to her favourite farm shop on Saturday.
Kate, who has stepped away from the spotlight as she recovers from abdominal surgery, was spotted looking ‘happy, healthy and relaxed’ as she picked up goods from the independent store just a mile from her Adelaide Cottage home this weekend.
Her Majesty appeared in high spirits as she waved for a selfie with a member of the public
Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer (left) accompanied the 76-year-old into the City Hall in Douglas
While donning a pair of trendy glasses, Camilla delivered a speech on behalf of His Majesty The King
Camilla sported a glamorous yet chic makeup look for the occasion, complete with a touch of pink lipstick
Stepping in for King Charles following his cancer diagnosis, Camilla took centre stage at today’s event
Members of the council sat to listen to Her Majesty’s speech, which she gave on behalf of King Charles
Queen Camilla signed the Letters Patent, which conferred City status on the Borough of Douglas
The royal appeared in high spirits as she greeted council members outside the City Hall with a firm handshake
School children patiently waited for the Queen’s arrival with Union Jack flags in their hands
Crowds cheered as Camilla and the Mayor of Douglas (right) unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the conferring City status on the Borough of Douglas
After visiting the City Hall, Camilla was welcomed to Government House in Onchan, Isle of Man, to meet community groups
But conspiracy theories are still proliferating online with some suggesting the photo is not the royal but instead a Kate Middleton lookalike.
Online speculation has spread in recent weeks about the whereabouts of the Princess of Wales as she continues to recover from her January surgery, with palace aides saying they would not comment on her recovery.
Kensington Palace has always said the Princess would be ‘unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter’ – and earlier this month aides condemned the ‘madness of social media’ as unsubstantiated theories continued to spread.
Meanwhile, King Charles has also taken a step back from royal duties as he continues to receive treatment for cancer.
There had been hopes the farm shop video would put to bed concerns about Kate’s health and discredit the bizarre, baseless and hurtful conspiracy theories being spread about her online.
One royal source told the Telegraph: ‘Finally everyone can calm down’.
However, theories continue to proliferate now that the video has been published.
Among the speculation being circulated by cruel trolls are that the Princess has died, or is using a body double or even her sister Pippa as a stand-in; unkind provocateurs have even suggested that she is in a coma or being faked with AI.
The farm shop video came just days after Kate admitted editing her own Mother’s Day photo released to the public, sparking more speculation online about her whereabouts.
The Princess of Wales took the blame for the picture being changed, which led to its withdrawal by six news agencies in the hours after it was published.