The Queen is to miss the Commonwealth Day Service.
In a short statement, Buckingham Palace confirmed that Her Majesty would no longer participate in the ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Instead, the Prince of Wales will lead the Royal Family at the service. The Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will also be present along with Princess Alexandra.
No reason for The Queen’s decision to miss the service was given. In a statement, the Palace said ”after discussing arrangements with the Royal Household, The Queen has asked the Prince of Wales to represent Her Majesty at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on Monday. The Queen will continue with other planned engagements, including in person audiences, in the week ahead.”
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will now miss the ceremony as the Duke has tested positive for Covid.
The Commonwealth Day service was due to be The Queen’s first major face to face engagement outside one of her royal residences since 2021.
She is set to attend a Service of Thanksgiving for the Duke of Edinburgh at the Abbey on March 29th 2022. The Duke of Sussex has now confirmed he won’t be travelling to the UK for that service.
