Queen misses Christmas service due to a bad cold
Elizabeth rarely misses church
Sandringham, England — A bad cold kept Queen Elizabeth II from attending the traditional Christmas morning church service near her Sandringham estate in rural Norfolk, England, raising some concerns about her health.
It’s extremely rare for Elizabeth, now 90, to miss the service, which is a cornerstone of the royal family’s Christmas celebrations and brings the monarch into contact with locals who gather outside for a glimpse of her.
“The Queen continues to recover from a heavy cold and will stay indoors to assist with her recovery,” Buckingham Palace said. “Her Majesty will participate in the royal family Christmas celebrations during the day.”
Those festivities included a gala lunch. In past years, the royal family would often go for extended walks in the counold tryside.
Elizabeth has been in generally good health and has maintained an active schedule in the last year despite traveling less often than in the past. Recently she stepped down as patron for about 20 charities and groups to lighten her workload.
Her husband, 95-year- Prince Philip, also has cut back on his public schedule and his charitable works in the last few years. He also was suffering from a severe cold earlier in the week, the palace said.
Philip did attend the Sunday morning Christmas service, waving to well-wishers from a car after the service.