Queen Camilla has conducted her first royal engagement since she contracted a nasty chest infection.

Queen Camilla says she’s on the mend (Image: PA)

Queen Camilla said she’s “on the mend” as she conducted her first engagement after contracting a nasty chest infection.

Camilla, 77, said she was “determined” to meet this year’s Booker Prize finalists despite the seasonal bug and insisted she’s “getting much better”.

Arriving in the Garden Room at Clarence House shortly after 2pm, Her Majesty was immediately asked how she was feeling by Gaby Wood, Chief Executive of the Booker Prize Foundation.

“I’m getting much better,” she said. “Bit of sort of coughing going on but I really wanted to be here.”

The Queen missed Remembrance events on the weekend following doctors guidance “to ensure a full recovery from a seasonal chest infection” and to protect others, the Palace said in a statement on Saturday.

She has tweaked her diary this week, pulling out of the star-studded Gladiator II premiere on Wednesday evening and an event to mark the King’s 76th birthday on Thursday.

It is understood that the decision has been made to protect and prioritise her continued recovery, with royal doctors keen to prevent any setback from the seasonal illness.

Wearing a white frilled collar shirt by Me and Em and a black pinafore by Fiona Clare, the Queen met Ms Wood and Edmund de Waal, chair of the 2024 judging panel, at the entrance to the garden room.

She posed for photographs with the six finalists before speaking to them in turn.

Her Majesty told them she was “determined” to be here today as she was “so impressed” by their writing.

Camilla, who coughed a handful of times during the engagement, had been due to host the finalists at a reception, but due to her lingering symptoms, she instead met them for a brief chat which lasted just under 15 minutes.

Second-time finalist Percival Everett, author of James, thanked the Queen for meeting them all today and enquired about her health.

She told him: “I’m on the mend, these things always take a bit of time to get rid of… but hopefully I’m on the mend now.”

Speaking to Mr Percival and Rachel Kushner, who has also previously been nominated for the leading literary award, she told them it was quite the achievement to be back here again.

“I’ve been lucky,” Mr Percial said to much laughter, promoting the Queen to rebuke him and say: “No, I don’t think it’s lucky. It’s skill. Skill counts for quite a lot of it. All of it actually there’s no luck involved here.

“You must be brilliant at your job to get a second nomination.”

The Queen chatted about her recent trip Down Under with the King with Australian novelist Charlotte Wood, and told her: “We had a lovely time in Sydney… it was so lovely to get such a warm welcome.”

The author of Stone Yard Devotional said: “Everyone was very excited to see you.”

Turning to speak to Anne Michaels, author of Held, she remarked on the high number of women shortlisted for the prize, with only one male among the six finalists.

Before she left, Ms Wood thanked Camilla for her continued support of literature.

“It’s always been my passion,” the Queen said. “My teenage years it was pop stars and now it’s books.”

She told the finalists: “I’m extremely jealous, I would love to be able to write like all of you do” and wished them luck ahead of the winner being announced later on Tuesday.

Literacy has long been a key part of Camilla’s work, as a book lover herself she is keen to champion the value of reading and education.

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She has a long association with the Booker Prize, having been present at a number of winner ceremonies in the past.

The Booker Prize is the leading literary award in the English-speaking world and has rewarded and celebrated world-class talent since it was launched in 1969.

The winner, who will be announced during a ceremony tonight at Old Billingsgate in London, receives £50,000 and the six shortlisted authors are also awarded £2,500 each.

The shortlisted titles and authors for this year’s prize are James by Percival Everett, Orbital by Samantha Harvey, Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner, Held by Anne Michaels, The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden and Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood.

Previous winners include Margaret Atwood, Paul Luynch, Bernardine Evaristo and Douglas Stuart.

Today marked the Queen’s first engagement since she accompanied the King on a tour of Australia and Samoa, which concluded on Saturday 26 October.

Her appearance came after it was revealed that her diary for the rest of the week has been condensed.

Tomorrow, the Queen will attend a Palace reception with the King to celebrate the TV and film industry, but she is not expected to be present for the entirety of the engagement and will no longer join her husband at the global premiere of Gladiator II on Wednesday evening.

On Thursday, the King will now mark his 76th birthday solo.

Camilla had been due to join her husband as he opened the first Coronation food hub.