Queen Elizabeth will no longer attend an Easter Sunday (17.04.22) church service.
The 95-year-old monarch will not be joining members of the royal family – including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall – for the Easter Mattins Service at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle this weekend, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
The royal – who turns 96 next week – has been struggling with her mobility and had already cancelled her appearance at today’s (14.04.22) Maundy Service “with regret”.
Instead, Charles – the first in line to the throne – and his wife Duchess Camilla will take her place.
It will be the first time that the 73-year-old royal will assume his mother’s role for the service.
Charles will carry out the tradition of giving out Maundy money to important community figures.
He and his wife Camilla will meet with the Dean of Windsor, The Right Reverend David Conner KCVO and the Lord High Almoner, the Right Reverend Dr. John Inge at the ceremony. They are expected to pose for photographs after the service.
The Queen – who is marking 70 years on the throne this year with her Platinum Jubilee – has pulled out a number of events in recent times, such as the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey last month and the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph in November.
However, she was able to attend the memorial service to her late husband Prince Philip – who died in March 2021, aged 99 – at Westminster Abbey with the support of a walking stick.
In February, Queen Elizabeth was forced to cancel a number of virtual engagements after testing positive for COVID-19, despite only experiencing “cold-like symptoms”.
However, the monarch recently revealed she was left “very tired and exhausted” when she had coronavirus.