Buckingham Palace has just provided an update about The Queen’s health that we were not expecting to hear. The palace previously stated that it was the 95-year-old British monarch’s “firm intention” to attend the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on Sunday, November 14th; however, she was forced to pull out on Sunday morning due to a back sprain. Was her October 20th overnight stay in hospital back-related all along? No one has confirmed, so we can’t say for sure, but it’s a possibility!
We fully expected to see The Queen at the annual wreath laying service in Whitehall, after being told that she had missed a few other events leading up to it – such as the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow (although she did appear via video link!) – to ensure that she was fully rested and in the best health possible to attend the event. However, the Palace issued a statement on Sunday morning confirming that “with great regret,” Her Majesty would not be attending.
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"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," the statement began, before adding that other senior royals such as Prince Charles, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, and Kate Middleton, among others, would still be in attendance.
"As in previous years, a wreath will be laid on Her Majesty’s behalf by The Prince of Wales. His Royal Highness, along with The Duchess of Cornwall, 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, The Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra will be present at the Cenotaph today as planned."
The Queen has only missed six other Cenotaph ceremonies during her 69-year reign. She didn’t attend the 1959 and 1963 services as she was pregnant with her two youngest children (Prince Andrew and Prince Edward), and missed the other four because she was on overseas visits. The Queen was in Ghana in 1961, Brazil in 1968, Kenya in 1983, and South Africa in 1999. Many people have predicted that The Queen's absence from the ceremony, and indeed her previous other absences over the past month, could mean that her reign is going in a whole new direction. Royal author Penny Junor has hinted that The Queen could very well stick to virtual meetings from now on, with very few "in the flesh" appearances.
"It’s very sad for The Queen because this is the one event in the year that she really, really likes to be at. Remembering the war dead is a very, very important part for her annual calendar," Junor said. "The public will be very sad and anxious to hear of yet another setback but clearly she must follow the advice and get herself well. There comes a time in everybody’s life when they have to admit that they are getting older and can’t do the things that they perhaps want to do. I think we will see more of her on video and probably less of her in the flesh. They should keep her warm and tucked up at home and not exposing herself to the possibility of infections."
