Queen forced to pull out of St Paul’s Cathedral service due to illness

The Queen was forced to miss a star-studded service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Thursday due to illness – leaving Hollywood royalty to steal the spotlight.

Following a busy week at Royal Ascot, Her Majesty then went on to host an engagement at Buckingham Palace where she met David Beckham and Sir Lenny Henry for the Queen’s Young Leaders Awards Ceremony.

However, it appears to have taken its toll, as she was forced to pull out from her latest planned engagement last minute. While she took time off on this occasion, it’s believed she will go ahead with a planned weekend in Windsor, before travelling to Scotland next week.

A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace said: “The Queen is feeling under the weather today and has decided not to attend this morning’s service at St Paul’s Cathedral marking the 200th anniversary of the Order of Michael and St George.

“Her Majesty will be represented by the Duke of Kent as the grand master of the order.”

In her absence, it was Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie who stole the show as she was invited along as a recipient of an honour from the Order, presented for distinguished services in connection with foreign affairs and service overseas.

Wearing a fitted ivory dress and matching fascinator, the 43-year-old star looked effortlessly elegant with a dazzling brooch taking centre stage on the outfit. The actress and former wife of Brad Pitt wore her hair tied back, and flashed a beaming smile at fans as she walked inside.

Earlier this year, Queen Elizabeth was pictured wearing dark sunglasses on a series of public outings, before the Palace revealed she had undergone cataract surgery in May. True to her usual stiff-upper-lip style and strong work ethic, however, the Queen didn’t miss a single official engagement, powering through her duties without a pause.

Read more: Palace reveals surgery that forced Queen Elizabeth to don dark glasses

The Sun noted that the monarch is known for her robust constitution, having in 2013 had her first hospital stay in a decade after contracting gastroenteritis. But cataracts – cloudy patches on the lens of the eye that impair vision and can’t be remedied with glasses – are known to be hereditary and to develop with age, and the Queen Mother also had surgery in 1995 to remove a cataract at the age of 95.

Cataract removal operations aren’t considered particularly serious and can sometimes be done under local anaesthetic. The surgery involves the removal of the afflicted lens, which is replaced by an artificial lens, and usually results in only a short recovery time, although there may be a longer period before the person is considered fit to drive.

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