Queen finally returns to public eye
BRITAIN: The Queen attended church at Sandringham yesterday in her first public appearance since before Christmas, as the Duchess of Cambridge told wellwishers the monarch was now feeling ‘‘very well’’.
The Queen was driven the 400-metre journey to St Mary Magdalene Church on her Norfolk estate.
In an unprecedented absence, she has been out of the public eye for almost a month after being struck down with a ‘‘heavy cold’’.
Her last official engagement was on December 9, leading members of the public to express concern.
Royal sources have insisted the Queen has been ‘‘up and about’’. But her outing yesterday sought to dispel any remaining fears.
Wearing a royal blue hat with feathered detailing and matching blue coat, the Queen arrived at the 16th century church in a Bentley.
Sitting in the car beside the Duke of Edinburgh, who was also ill over Christmas, she was covered with a light blue fleece blanket and wore a pair of thick black gloves.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also attended the service, but there was no sign of Prince George or Princess Charlotte.
The duchess’s appearance came ahead of her 35th birthday today, which she is due to mark privately with her family.
The occasion signals the start of a week of public engagements, which include a visit to a parenting unit in north London and a joint engagement with her husband at a child bereavement centre in Stratford, both on Thurday.
Attending the service, the duchess recycled a £1500 (NZ$2600) forest green designer coat from Sportmax for the occasion, matching it with a grey furry hat and black heels. She was joined by her sister, Pippa, mother Carole, father Michael and brother James. The congregation sang God Save The Queen before the Rev Jonathan Riviere led prayers for the Queen and the royal family.
As the monarch left an hour later, there was applause from the crowd and she could be seen smiling as she departed in the Bentley with her husband.
While the Duke of Cambridge stayed quiet over his grandmother’s illness, the duchess told one onlooker she was ‘‘very well’’.
A small handful of wellwishers voiced their concerns that the monarch appeared ‘‘slightly more stooped’’ than normal, but the majority commented on how well she looked.