The Queen will miss today’s Remembrance Sunday commemorations after having sprained her back, Buckingham Palace announced just hours before Her Majesty was due to arrive in central London to attend in person the National Service of Remembrance. The palace said in a statement the sovereign took the decision to pull out of the event “with great regret”.
Buckingham Palace’s statement read: “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.
“As in previous years, a wreath will be laid on Her Majesty’s behalf by The Prince of Wales.
This will be the seventh time since Her Majesty’s coronation in 1953 she misses a Remembrance Sunday service.
On two previous occasions, she was pregnant, while on the other four she was engaged in overseas tours.
Given the back pain caused by this injury, it is understood the Queen would not be able to undertake the car trip from Windsor to London or to stand for a long period of time.
A source at the palace said the Queen is “deeply disappointed” to be missing today’s service, as she regards this appointment at the Cenotaph as one of the most significant engagements of the year.
They added this is an “incredibly unfortunate timing, and nobody regrets her absence today more deeply than her Majesty herself.”
The Queen is reportedly hoping to be able to carry on with her light desk duties, as she has done since last month, next week.
This back injury is understood not to be related to the ailment that has led to royal doctors advising the 95-year-old to rest and stick to light duties since October 20.
But it increases concerns of royal watchers in regard to the Queen’s health.
Reacting to the palace announcement, journalist Piers Morgan wrote on Twitter: “There’s something we’re not being told about the Queen’s health, it’s clearly a more serious situation than the Palace is saying.”
Replying to his post, Twitter user Phil Jones wrote: “There’s no way HM would miss the service today unless she was really poorly.
“Very sad, she’s given so much to this country, wishing HM a very speedy recovery.”
Another, named Evelyn Dalton, tweeted: “I’m starting to think the same, there’s no way the Queen would miss anything unless it was very serious and her medical advisors insist on resting.”
A third, with the nickname julie1888, wrote: “My exact thoughts… it’s worrying.”
Others, however, disagreed with Mr Morgan, noting the Queen’s advanced age could be slowing down Her Majesty.
One Twitter user named Gilds_85 wrote: “Behave, she’s 95 stop scaremongering!
“We’d all be slowing down at that age! Even if we make it!”
Another, called Georgia E, said: “She’s 95- she’s old… why do people expect her to be as mobile as she was 10/20/30 years ago.”
Concern over the Queen’s health was sparked on October 20, when the palace announced she agreed to cancel a trip to Northern Ireland following her medical team’s advice to rest for a few days.
The Queen has since cancelled also her attendance at the evening reception of COP26, at the Festival of Remembrance on November 13 and at the General Synod Service and Opening Session on November 16.
However, she continues to carry out her work as a sovereign behind the palace’s walls – which includes holding virtual audiences and phone calls with the Prime Minister.
She was seen in public earlier this month, during her long-planned weekend in Sandringham.
Buckingham Palace had previously announced the Queen’s attendance at today’s service at the Cenotaph on Thursday.
Daily Express
