Why Was Queen Camilla Crying in Public Alongside Husband King Charles?

The Gist

• Queen Camilla was visibly emotional after a World War II veteran paid an off-the-cuff tribute to King Charles and his cancer battle.

• The 105-year-old veteran, Yavar Abbas, saluted Charles, calling him “my brave King” and sharing that he, too, had battled cancer.

• Charles’s cancer diagnosis was announced in February 2024, and he still is continuing treatment up to the present day.

Queen Camilla was visibly moved to tears at a remembrance service marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day on August 15.

VJ Day stands for Victory over Japan Day, marking the end of World War II in the Pacific theater. To commemorate the occasion, the Queen and her husband, King Charles, took part in the service Friday at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

The King and Queen were clearly moved when veteran Yavar Abbas, 105, took to the stage, speaking extemporaneously and “off script” (according to The Telegraph) about how he, too, has battled cancer like the King. Charles announced his cancer diagnosis in February 2024, though the type and stage have never been publicly revealed; he is continuing cancer treatment up to the present day.

Before reading from his diary, he gave a confident salute to the King seated before him, saying, “I make no apology for going briefly off the script to salute my brave King, who is here with his beloved Queen, despite the fact that he is under treatment for cancer.”

At this, Camilla’s eyes welled up and look at her husband with pride, The Telegraph reported.

“And if it provides any comfort…I’ve been rid of it for the past 25 years and counting,” Abbas added. “I salute him for gracing this occasion because by his presence here, he has gone a long way to make sure that his granddad’s army is never given the sobriquet again of a Forgotten Army.”

As Abbas finished his remarks and returned to his seat, he again saluted the King, “who stood up and clasped his hands in warm appreciation,” according to The Telegraph. Later, at a veterans’ reception, Charles “greeted Mr. Abbas like an old friend,” the outlet reported.

“It was quite extraordinary—you didn’t have to say that,” Charles told Abbas as the pair clasped hands before sitting down together for a cup of tea. Of the King, Abbas said, “I admire the man. He has similar views about things that I have, about the environment, for example. He’s human.”

The Queen has typically shown little emotion publicly surrounding her husband’s diagnosis, but of the service on Friday, Camilla said she found it “so incredibly moving.”

Though Prince William and Kate Middleton were at the VE Day (Victory over Europe) commemorations in May, they were not present at yesterday’s service. Instead, they sent a personal message on social media, writing, “Today, on the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, we remember the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of all who served. Today, we especially think of those British and Commonwealth troops who fought in the Asia-Pacific.”

“We owe an enduring debt to the generation who gave so much, and to whom we will always be grateful,” they added. “Lest we forget.” The message was signed “W & C,” indicating that it came from the Prince and Princess of Wales themselves.

For the service on August 15, Camilla wore all white—a white Dior dress with a pleated skirt, which she paired with a white hat by Philip Treacy and pearl earrings (per Tatler). She also wore her Bugle Horn of the Rifles brooch, commissioned for her by the regiment to mark her role as Colonel-in-Chief, a position she took over from her father-in-law, Prince Philip, in 2020, just one year before his death.

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