Buckingham Palace said Monday that the Commonwealth Service will be absent from Queen Elizabeth II.
“After having discussed the arrangements with The Royal Household, the Queen has requested The Prince of Wales that she represent Her Majesty at Monday’s Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey,” Buckingham Palace stated in a statement.
She was not asked why she had to cancel, but the palace said that she would continue with her other engagements (including in-person audiences) in the weeks ahead.
Monday’s Westminster Abbey service marked 95 year-old Elizabeth’s first time in person since her diagnosis of Covid-19. She was given the advice to rest, and she tested positive on February 20th with only mild symptoms.
These two weeks, she’s been performing only light duties and addressing a few virtual audiences. However, she was able to return to live engagements on Monday when she met Justin Trudeau of Canada at Windsor Castle and then later the chief of Britain’s Armed Forces.
This announcement was made as Prince Harry left the Duke of Edinburgh’s Memorial Service at the end the month. However, he stated that he “hopes” to visit Queen Elizabeth as soon as possible.
Queen Elizabeth (pictured, appearing on a videolink virtual audience on Tuesday, March 8) will not attend Monday’s Commonwealth Service, Buckingham Palace has said
Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Charles, Prince of Wales will be his mother’s replacement at Monday’s Commonwealth Service.
Buckingham Palace said the 95-year-old monarch (pictured meeting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, March 7) would resume in-person audiences next week
Around 1,500 visitors, celebrating Britain and its international groups, were expected to join the Queen at Monday’s Commonwealth Service.
MailOnline was told by a royal source that it wasn’t surprising the Queen wouldn’t attend the Commonwealth Day ceremony.
“Anyone over 95 years old would have difficulty standing for extended periods. According to her, she is finding it more difficult to walk these days. Covid has been a major issue for her.
I don’t believe anyone ever expected her not to come under such circumstances. It is important that she keeps her cool. Although she may be disappointed, it’s a prudent precaution.
Still, she is likely to attend a memorial service for Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey, London, on March 31st.
Charles, Camilla and Prince William were among senior royals present at the Commonwealth Day ceremony on Monday.
Buckingham Palace said tonight, however that they will not be there after Covid was tested positive by the Duke.
The spokesperson stated that the Queen’s Commonwealth Day message would be sent in the normal way.
With many of her engagements moving to virtual venues, the Queen made less public appearances during the Covid-19 pandemic.
On February 5, when the Queen hosted an event at Sandringham for volunteers, local charities workers and ex-staff from Sandringham, she was last seen in public.
Concerns about Queen Elizabeth’s health were raised when she was admitted to hospital for a night last October. She missed several events, and royal doctors advised her that light duty be undertaken.
Just before she contracted Covid-19, she had returned to something that was similar to normal work practices.
It was expected that she would attend at least three events this month, which included the Commonwealth Service.
A second one, a diplomat reception at Windsor Castle, was already postponed by the government because it felt that the timing was not right.
To attend Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021, the monarch, who is rarely seen with a mask on her face, donned a cover-up to protect her eyes.
Commemoration: The Queen wears a face mask as she inspects a bouquet of flowers to be placed at the grave of the Unknown Warrior by her Equerry, Lieutenant Colonel Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, in November 2020
Prince Harry will not be returning to the UK later this month to attend the high-profile memorial marking the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh.
A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex today confirmed he would not be physically attending his grandfather’s Service of Thanksgiving, which is due to be held at Westminster Abbey on March 29.
After the Prince began a High Court fight over the taxpayer-funded security arrangements in Britain, there was speculation that Harry wouldn’t be attending.
Following claims that he felt unsafe in Britain and was not protected by Scotland Yard officers (who he feels offer superior protection to private-hired bodyguards), the Duke began legal proceedings.
Harry’s grandmother has not yet met the Duchess and Duke of Sussexes’ granddaughter, Lilibet. She was born in California last June and is named Lilibet after Queen Elizabeth’s nickname.
The developments come on the same day that Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle signed an open letter accusing the UK and ‘rich’ neighbours of pursuing ‘self-defeating nationalism’ to deny African and Asian countries the right to make their own Covid-19 vaccines.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are campaigning for Britain to work with pharmaceutical companies to waive intellectual property rights on the life-saving jabs in the latest flashpoint between Harry and his home country.
Meghan, Harry and the other signatories to an open letter were clear in warning that the “pandemic” isn’t over.
Today’s spokesperson confirmed that the Duke of Sussex would not attend Prince Philip’s Service of Thanksgiving, due to be held in Westminster Abbey on March 29,
The UK pledges 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to be donated to low-income countries within the next 12 months as part from at least 1billion G7 doses.
A number of African countries including Nigeria have seen more than one-million doses destroyed because of low vaccination rates.
Experts estimated that up to a third of Africa’s Covid vaccine supplies are still in storage due to jab hesitancy, infrastructure issues and other obstacles.
The Sussexes have repeatedly called for global vaccine equity, comparing it to the HIV crisis in 1980s and 1990s, and today their Archewell Foundation joined The People’s Vaccine coalition, a group of 90 famous names and organisations demanding vaccines are ‘freely available to everyone, everywhere’.
The couple have today said that ‘world leaders’ and ‘rich nations’ now ‘have the responsibility to change the situation’ in a letter also signed by Charlize Theron and Ban Ki-Moon.
They wrote: “The European Union and the United Kingdom continue to block the lifting intellectual property rules that would allow the distribution and scaling-up of Covid-19 vaccinations, treatment and testing facilities in the global South.
The transfer of large amounts of publicly-funded vaccine technology from pharmaceutical corporations could accelerate production by a few months. Yet today, just a few corporations still have the power and ability to regulate vaccine price, supply and distribution – as well as the power and responsibility to choose who lives and dies.
The Duke of Edinburgh is now suing the Home Office for denying him the “same degree” personal protection security, even though he offered to pay.
High Court hears that Harry was not given sufficient information about a decision to alter his tax-payer-funded police protection while he was in the UK.
According to court records, although the Duke intends to travel with his children from across the Atlantic to see them, he does not feel comfortable visiting within the existing security measures.
He challenges the February 2020 Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures decision (Ravec), made in February 2020. Ravec has delegated powers to the Home Secretary.
Harry claims that the US’s private security team does not have sufficient jurisdiction or access to UK intelligence to protect his family.