BRITAIN’S Queen Elizabeth carried out her first official engagement yesterday since spending a night in hospital and being ordered to rest by her doctors.
The 95-year-old queen, the world’s oldest and longest-reigning monarch, stayed overnight at London’s King Edward VII private hospital last Wednesday after undergoing “preliminary investigations” for an unspecified but not COVID-19 related ailment.
It was Elizabeth’s first overnight hospital stay for years, but royal officials said she was in good spirits and she returned to her Windsor Castle home the following day where she got back to carrying out light duties.
Yesterday, she carried out two virtual audiences to welcome the new ambassadors to Britain from South Korea and Switzerland.
Elizabeth, who is queen of 15 other realms including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand and next year celebrates 70 years on the throne, is known for her robust health and still carrying out many public duties.
However, she was forced to cancel a planned official trip to Northern Ireland last week after her medical team said she should rest for a few days.
The queen will not attend the U.K.-hosted COP26 climate summit, Buckingham Palace announced yesterday.
The U.K. monarch — who had to cancel an engagement in Northern Ireland last week on medical grounds — had been expected to attend the United Nations gathering, which kicks off in Glasgow this weekend.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said that while the queen had been “undertaking light duties at Windsor Castle,” she had “regretfully decided that she will no longer travel to Glasgow to attend the evening reception of Cop26 on Monday, November 1.”
The statement added: “Her Majesty is disappointed not to attend the reception but will deliver an address to the assembled delegates via a recorded video message.”
The queen was recorded appearing to criticize world leaders for climate inaction earlier this month, reportedly saying of COP26: “We only know about people who are not coming … It’s really irritating when they talk, but they don’t do.”
The U.K. sovereign’s absence from COP26 comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin made clear he will not attend, while questions remain over whether China’s Xi Jinping will make an appearance.