Toronto Star

Rare miss for Queen at church service

Buckingham Palace blames concerning absence on recovery from ‘heavy cold’

- KIRSTY WIGGLESWOR­TH AND GREGORY KATZ

SANDRINGHA­M, ENGLAND— A heavy cold kept the Queen from attending the traditiona­l Christmas morning church service near her Sandringha­m estate in rural Norfolk, England, raising some concern 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 in- doors 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 countrysid­e.

Elizabeth has been in generally good health and has maintained an active schedule in the last year despite travelling 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-old Prince Philip, has also cut back on his public schedule and his charitable works in the last few years. He was also suffering from a severe cold earlier in the week, the palace said.

Philip did attend the Sunday morning Christmas service, waving to well-wishers on his way out of the church in a car.

Prince Harry spent time talking to locals after the church service and stopped to pet a dog. There was no sign of his girlfriend, American actress Meghan Markle, who recently visited him in London.

Elizabeth and Philip were joined in Sandringha­m by other senior royals including Prince Charles. Prince William and his wife, Kate, along with their two children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were celebratin­g Christmas with Kate’s parents at their home in Bucklebury, a village west of London.

The queen used her annual prerecorde­d Christmas Day message to praise British Olympic and Paralympic athletes and others who inspired her. The traditiona­l message of goodwill was televised throughout Britain and much of the Commonweal­th.

 ?? YUI MOK/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? The Queen poses after praising British Olympic and Paralympic athletes in a pre-recorded Christmas broadcast.
YUI MOK/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Queen poses after praising British Olympic and Paralympic athletes in a pre-recorded Christmas broadcast.

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