Queen Camilla Drove 6 Hours to Event After Weather Prevented Flying: 'She Did Not Want to Let Down the King'

"The flight was canceled due to the weather so she elected to go by road, which is one hell of a journey," a source said

Queen Camilla was determined to return to her royal work despite treacherous weather following the announcement that King Charles had been diagnosed with cancer.

The Queen, 76, reportedly drove for six hours by car on Thursday to attend a concert at Salisbury Cathedral in southern England after her helicopter was grounded due to inclement weather conditions, making it impossible to fly there from Sandringham as planned.

“The flight was canceled due to the weather so she elected to go by road, which is one hell of a journey — at least six hours in these conditions,” a source told The Telegraph. “She did not want to let down the King, having assured him that she would continue with her schedule of official engagements."

Salisbury is over 200 miles from Sandringham, the royal family's private home in the Norfolk countryside in the east of England where Queen Camilla and King Charles arrived on Tuesday, continuing Queen Elizabeth's tradition of spending her Accession Day at the royal residence where her father, King George VI, died in 1952.

Related: Queen Camilla Shares What's 'Cheering' Up King Charles Since His Cancer News Was Revealed

Before returning to Sandringham together, Queen Camilla accompanied King Charles in London, where he commenced cancer treatment. While in the capital, King Charles also met on Tuesday with his son Prince Harry, who made a 24-hour trip to the U.K. after the monarch's diagnosis with publicized.

According to the outlet, Queen Camilla wanted to keep her commitment to attending the musical evening and show support for the organizer and the charities involved. The concert saw pianist Rupert Egerton-Smith perform alongside The Band of The Grenadier Guards and The Band and Bugles of The Rifles, military regiments of which Queen Camilla is honorary colonel. The event also celebrated three organizations of which she is Patron: the Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust, The Wiltshire Air Ambulance Charitable Trust and Community First – Youth Action Wiltshire.

Queen Camilla arrived on Thursday night with an umbrella in hand and made a short statement about how King Charles was feeling.

"He is doing extremely well under the circumstances. He is very touched by all of the letters and messages the public have been sending from everywhere. That’s very cheering," she told a member of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance team in a video shared to X by Duncan Stone.

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Related: Queen Camilla Will 'Buoy' King Charles amid Cancer Treatment: 'She Is His Strength' (Exclusive)

Queen Camilla’s solo outing was significant as it marked her first royal duty since the palace announced that her husband King Charles was diagnosed with “a form of cancer” following treatment for a benign prostate enlargement. The 138-word statement specified that the King commenced treatment, would postpone public-facing duties and continue to work behind the scenes.

The Queen is expected to play an important role in supporting King Charles during this time.

“She is his strength and stay like [Prince Philip] was for the late Queen,” a palace insider tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week's issue. “She will be great. She will rally him, she will buoy him. She is amazing. She equips him to do the job he has to do.”

At the same time, she is continuing to represent the monarchy — especially as Kate Middleton continues her recovery from abdominal surgery last month. The Princess of Wales, 42, is not expected to return to public outings until after Easter, the palace previously said.

Prince William had cleared his schedule to help his wife during her recovery and take care of their three young children, but he returned to royal duties on Wednesday. The Prince of Wales, 41, conducted an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on behalf of his father and attended London’s Air Ambulance Charity gala dinner.

“It is hard with Kate being ill as well, but he will step up,” a source close to the royal household tells PEOPLE.

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