There are fresh concerns for the health of Queen Elizabeth II, after she missed a Remembrance Day commemoration service on Sunday, November 14th.
The announcement that the Queen would not attend due to a new back injury was made at the eleventh hour, with the Palace releasing a statement just hours before she was due to attend the service.
“The Queen, having sprained her back, has decided this morning with great regret that she will not be able to attend today’s Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph,” officials said in a statement.
“Her Majesty is disappointed that she will miss the service.”
“As in previous years, a wreath will be laid on Her Majesty’s behalf by The Prince of Wales. His Royal Highness, along with The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra will be present at the Cenotaph today as planned.”
Her Majesty’s strained back is the latest in a string of health issues she has faced since the passing of her husband Prince Philip in April. The Queen’s strained back is unrelated to the health issues she has grappled with in previous months.
This engagement would have been her first in more than a month since she was admitted to hospital in late October, following medical advice to slow down. In the past month, Queen Elizabeth has regretfully missed both a trip to Northern Ireland, and her attendance at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow due to orders to rest.
In mid-October, Queen Elizabeth was seen using a walking stick at the Thanksgiving Service for the Centenary of the Royal British Legion. This was the first time the Queen had been seen with a walking cane, since undergoing a knee operation in 2003.
The Queen has also had a number of small health hiccups in recent months. Her Majesty has been advised to cease her daily martini and to give up her late-night television habits in order to rest sufficiently.
Although the Queen did not attend the Remembrance Day commemoration, many members of the Royal family did. Prince Charles and his wife Camilla Duchess of Cornwall attended, with Prince laying a wreath of poppies on the Queen’s behalf. Prince William and his wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge also attended, as did Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, and Princess Anne, the Princess Royal.
Last week, reports confirmed that the Queen and Prince Harry had an awkward showdown over the laying of a wreath at the Remembrance Sunday commemoration on Harry’s behalf. The Queen vehemently denied Prince Harry this opportunity as he “is no longer representing the Royal Family”.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan stepped away from Royal duties and therefore would not be allowed to have a Royal wreath laid at the Cenotaph. This is despite Prince Harry’s extended service in the British Armed Forces serving for a decade.