The Queen has expressed her “deep regret” after being forced to pull out of Remembrance Sunday commemorations at the Cenotaph after suffering a further injury.
According to Buckingham Palace, the 95-year-old monarch has sprained her back.
It is understood that this us unrelated to recent medical advice which saw her hospitalised.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “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.
“Her Majesty is disappointed that she will miss the service.”
There is no sense from Buckingham Palace that Her Majesty’s sprained back is serious. The Daily Mail reports that the monarch plans to continue with light diary of engagements next week.
Nevertheless, Her Majesty’s absence from the Cenotaph is significant. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson had previously said that The Queen was determined to attend the ceremony with her presence being non-negotiable.
For the past four years, The Queen has scaled back her involvement, watching the ceremony paying tribute to all those who have given their lives for their country from a balcony overlooking the Cenotaph. The Prince of Wales now takes her place in the main service.
Her Majesty has previously only ever missed the service at the Cenotaph six times during her reign – twice when she was pregnant, and on four occasions when she was undertaking an overseas tour.
The Queen was first told to rest by doctors earlier in October, just hours before she was due to fly to Northern Ireland. It came after a busy few weeks which saw the 95 year old Monarch pack in over a dozen engagements including trips to Scotland and Wales.
Her Majesty cancelled a number of high profile engagements, including a visit to Glasgow for COP26 and the Festival of Remembrance.
The Queen has continued to undertake light engagements at Windsor Castle during her period of rest in the form of virtual engagements and receiving government papers.
