Queen sprains back pulls out of Remembrance Sunday service
London: Buckingham Palace says the Queen has sprained her back and was “disappointed†to have pulled out of the UK’s Remembrance Sunday service.
The 95-year-old monarch had said she would attend the service, which would have been her first public outing since being told to rest.
The palace said the Queen’s back injury is unrelated to her recent health concerns.Credit:Getty Images
She had in October pulled out of several events, including a reception at the UN climate talks in Glasgow, after an overnight stay in hospital.
In her 69 years on the throne, the monarch had previously missed the Remembrance Sunday event at the Cenotaph War Memorial in central London only six times, four while on tour abroad and twice while pregnant.
The Queen served in World War II as an army driver and mechanic and is head of Britain’s armed forces.
The ceremony is held on the nearest Sunday to November 11 to mark the end of World War I and to pay tribute to servicemen and women in all wars.
The Queen regards the service as one of her most important public engagements.
The sight of the Queen at the event has been one of the defining images of her reign: head bowed, wearing black and displaying a red poppy.
“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,†Buckingham Palace said in a statement just hours before the event.
“Her Majesty is disappointed that she will miss the service. Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall will attend along with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester along with the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra will be present at the Cenotaph today as planned.â€
Prince Charles attends the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph, in Whitehall, London.Credit:AP
She has missed several other recent events, including the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday. Officials also said she would miss the opening of the Church of England’s governing General Synod on Tuesday.
However, a palace source said the Queen hoped to continue with a schedule of light home-based official duties this week after conducting virtual meetings in recent weeks.
The palace has not provided any further details on the Queen’s condition, but had previously confirmed that she spent a night in hospital in October for “preliminary investigations.†Her back injury is unrelated to the unspecified condition.
The Queen had repeatedly insisted that Remembrance Day Sunday would see her return to public engagements.
The royal family joins leading members of the government, overseas representatives and military on Remembrance Sunday to commemorate those who lost their lives in conflict.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, left, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, right, stand on the balcony during the service.Credit:AP
In recent years, the Queen’s son and heir, Prince Charles, has laid a wreath on her behalf while she watches from a balcony at the nearby Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Charles laid the wreath again on Sunday, while his wife Camilla, along with Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, watched from the balcony.
Thousands of veterans later marched past the Cenotaph, led by the band of the Coldstream Guards.
Earlier this month, the Queen invoked her own mortality in a recorded speech to world leaders attending the COP summit in Glasgow, as she urged them to act to save the planet from climate change.
â€" With Reuters, AP
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