Queen Elizabeth misses Remembrance Day service

Former British prime minister Gordon Brown, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former prime minister Tony Blair attend the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in central London yesterday.

Queen Elizabeth II has a “sprained back”, Buckingham Palace said, and had to miss Sunday’s Remembrance service in London – her first planned public appearance since resting on medical advice.The ceremony honouring of fallen troops is close to the monarch’s heart and her absence will deepen concerns over her health after she stepped back on medical advice at the end of last month and spent a night in hospital undergoing unspecified tests.She then resumed “light duties”, but pulled out of a scheduled attendance at the UN climate change summit in Glasgow after being advised to rest.“The Queen, having sprained her back, decided yesterday morning with great regret that she will not be able to attend Remembrance Sunday Service at the Cenotaph,” a palace statement said.Her son Prince Charles placed a wreath on her behalf, as in previous years.It is only the seventh time she has missed the service in almost 70 years on the throne, with the previous six due to either pregnancy or foreign visits.A two-day trip to Northern Ireland was also shelved as was her appearance Tuesday at the General Synod, the national assembly of the Church of England which she heads.The 95-year-old was due to view yesterday’s annual service in London from a balcony, as she has done since 2017, when she handed over some duties to younger members of the family.Royal expert Penny Junor said it was “very sad for the Queen because this is the one event in the year that she really, really likes to be at.“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.”Queen Elizabeth II succeeded her father, King George VI, in 1952 and next year is her Platinum Jubilee, marking her 70th year on the throne.She returned to her Windsor Castle residence, west of London, on Tuesday, after a long-planned weekend away at her Sandringham estate in eastern England.The palace has previously said it was her “firm intention” to attend Sunday’s Remembrance event, which brought together veterans, their families and political leaders.The Queen, who also pulled out of the separate Festival of Remembrance event on Saturday, is head of the Armed Forces and served as a mechanic during World War II.