Queen cancels her visit to Northern Ireland on doctors’ orders
THE Queen is resting at Windsor Castle after cancelling a planned visit to Northern Ireland on the advice of her doctors.
Her Majesty has “reluctantly accepted medical advice” to rest for the next few days, Buckingham Palace said.
She is said to be in “good spirits” and “disappointed” not to be able to fly to Northern Ireland for a busy two days of public engagements. The Queen has had a packed diary of engagements since she returned from Balmoral at the beginning of October. She has undertaken seven public events, including travelling to Cardiff, as well as her usual workload of audiences, investitures and dealing with daily red boxes.
On Tuesday, she held a Windsor Castle reception for business leaders, giving no sign that she was feeling unwell.
In a statement released at 11am yesterday, the palace said: “The Queen has reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days. Her Majesty is in good spirits and is disappointed that she will no longer be able to visit Northern Ireland, where she had been due to undertake a series of engagements today and tomorrow.
“The Queen sends her warmest good wishes to the people of Northern Ireland, and looks forward to visiting in the future.”
The Queen is resting at Windsor Castle. It is not related to Covid-19, a source confirmed, emphasising that there is no cause for concern about Her Majesty’s general health. At this stage, she is still expected to attend the Cop26 climate change conference in Glasgow which opens at the end of the month.
The monarch has recently undertaken a packed schedule, enjoying meeting the public again after a long coronavirus lockdown.
The Queen has recently made several small concessions to working at the age of 95.
At Westminster Abbey earlier this month, she used a walking stick “for comfort” for the first time and was driven to a side entrance closer to her seat. She is also understood to have largely given up alcohol to keep on top form. Political leaders shared their best wishes following the cancellation of her visit to Northern Ireland, where she was due to meet people in the newly named village of Royal Hillsborough.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP leader, said: “We thank Her Majesty for her good wishes to the people of Northern Ireland and trust that she will keep well and benefit from a period of rest.
“It is always a joy to have Her Majesty in Royal Hillsborough and we look forward to a further visit in the near future,” he added.