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Queen Elizabeth won’t be joining members of the royal family at Monday’s Commonwealth Service. Buckingham Palace announced on Friday that the 95-year-old monarch has asked her eldest son, Prince Charles, to represent her instead.
“After discussing the 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 palace said in a statement. “The Queen will continue with other planned engagements, including in person Audiences, in the week ahead.”
The palace also noted that the Queen’s Commonwealth Day message “will be distributed in the usual way.”
Although Her Majesty will be missing the service, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Princess Alexandra will be in attendance. The palace revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will no longer attend “following The Duke’s positive test for Covid.”
Emily Nash, royal editor at HOLA! USA ’s sister brand HELLO!, tweeted, that the Commonwealth Service is “a key event for the Queen in the royal calendar each year, so she won’t have taken the decision lightly, but I understand there were concerns about her comfort in terms of travel arrangements. She has recently complained of having mobility issues.”
Queen Elizabeth, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Feb. 20, was spotted using a cane last month. Her Majesty also stepped out last October with a walking stick for a ceremony in Wales and a Service of Thanksgiving. HELLO! reported at the time that the Service of Thanksgiving was the first time the Queen had been pictured using a walking stick in 17 years. The monarch had previously been seen using a cane after knee surgery in 2003 and 2004, per HELLO!.