LONDON, Nov 13 — Queen Camilla, whose husband is Britain’s head of state King Charles III, said she was "much better” as she returned to public duties on Tuesday after withdrawing from events last week due to a chest infection.

Camilla, 77, attended a Booker Prize reception to congratulate the finalists of the prestigious literary award, whose winner will be announced later on Tuesday, in her first public engagement since falling ill.

She told the Booker Prize Foundation’s chief executive Gaby Wood that she was "getting much better” and had a "sort of coughing going on”.

Buckingham Palace said the queen was unwell last Tuesday, after returning from Australia and the Pacific island of Samoa, where she accompanied Charles at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

As part of her shortened programme, Camilla will also attend an event celebrating the film and television industry on Wednesday, but will likely not stay for the entire reception.

She is also not expected to attend the global premiere of "Gladiator II” at London’s Leicester Square the same night.

She was initially scheduled to meet director Ridley Scott and actors including Paul Mescal and Denzel Washington. Charles, who turns 76 on Thursday, is still set to make an appearance.

Camilla missed Remembrance Day commemoration events over the weekend due to the illness, including a commemorative concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London and a ceremony at the Cenotaph war memorial.

However, Catherine, Princess of Wales, whose husband is Charles’s elder son and heir, Prince William, took part in the commemorations, a big step in her recovery from cancer.

Charles is still undergoing treatment for his own cancer diagnosis, announced by Buckingham Palace in February. — AFP