Real Reason Why Queen Camilla Joined King Charles for Only the Final Leg of Their Caribbean Tour
Queen Camilla, who was absent during the first half of the trip, reunited with the monarch at V.C. Bird International Airport on Saturday.
King Charles accomplished 'diplomatic success' during his solo visits to the Bahamas and Guyana on the nine-day 'Autumn Tour' of the Caribbean. He is now joined by Queen Camilla in Antigua and Barbuda for the final six days of the royal visits. hile they present a united front at public engagements, Charles actively led the tour solo until Camilla joined him later for a specific personal reason.
Queen Camilla, who was absent during the first half of the trip, reunited with the monarch at V.C. Bird International Airport after arriving from the United Kingdom on Saturday. Apparently, she is a “nervous flyer” and wanted to “avoid getting on as many planes as possible.” It has been previously reported that the Queen finds it challenging to fly in smaller planes, unlike the King.
Camilla's aerophobia stems from past traumatic flight experiences. In July 2018, her royal helicopter was involved in two high-severity near-misses within an hour, narrowly avoiding a glider and a plane carrying parachutists—according to reports by the U.K. AirproX Board. A royal spokesperson acknowledged at the time, “[Camilla] does not like flying, but I think she has to sometimes embrace that fear.” Later, in October 2022, her flight from India to London suffered a bird strike that visibly dented the plane's nose. Although she landed safely on both occasions, the scares left a lasting impression.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold confirmed as much, stating, "Camilla is definitely not a fan of flying. While she has to travel all over the world, flying was never her favourite mode of transport. But even though she has this fear, she deals with it when she does have to travel." Harrold also stated that the smaller jets often used by the royals tend to experience more turbulence, which likely influenced the Queen’s decision to skip the first part of the tour.
Meanwhile, Camilla looked radiant in a bespoke white chiffon Anna Valentine dress yesterday while attending a military parade marking Antigua and Barbuda's 45th Independence anniversary at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium. Her statement jewelry carried deep emotional significance: she wore her Coronation diamond drop earrings; a gold disc pendant engraved with the initials of her five grandchildren and set with a ruby birthstone; a Royal British Legion poppy brooch for Remembrance; and two Van Cleef & Arpels bracelets—the Vintage Alhambra yellow gold agate and the Sweet Alhambra heart.
She complemented her look with a TBD bag and Eliot Zed Tina Pumps. Meanwhile, on November 3, Their Majesties will be attending the official opening address at the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), where King Charles will be delivering a keynote speech.
