The British monarch has suffered from sporadic stiffening of the legs in recent months
Queen Elizabeth II will not attend, this Friday, the thanksgiving mass for her reign, in the cathedral of San Pablo, because she felt discomfort, on Thursday, during the contemplation of the ‘Trooping The Color’ parade, from the balcony of the Buckingham Palace. Her spokesperson pointed out that her decision not to attend the religious service was made by the queen “with great reluctance.”
The queen has been suffering from “episodic mobility problems” for months, according to the official description. In February, she alerted two soldiers, at her first reception after recovering from covid, that “as you can see, I can’t move.” Images of her suggested that she suffered from stiffness in her legs. In October, she had spent a night hospitalized for tests, the nature of which was not disclosed.
Elizabeth II is a religious woman, who has often spoken of the essential role that faith has in her life. She would have considered her service as one of her most heartfelt acts at the Jubilee celebration. But her spokesperson explained that the procession was already a difficult challenge for the sovereign, before she felt the discomfort in the initial act of the Jubilee.
The queen struggled to climb the step that leads to the balcony of Buckingham Palace, when she came out with her cousin Edward, Duke of Kent, to watch the return of the military parade. She smiled constantly and was in good spirits when she went out, for the second time, to watch, along with more members of her family, the military aircraft air show.
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The announcement of his resignation to preside over the religious service came last night, before he participated, outside Windsor Castle, in a symbolic act that gave the signal to illuminate thousands of beacons and lights in the United Kingdom and in Commonwealth countries. , celebrating the seven decades of his reign. Isabel II walked a distance helped by a cane, something frequent in her last public appearances.
The queen’s presence was not expected at Saturday’s show, organized around Buckingham Palace by the Royal Family and the BBC, which she would see on television. And there had been speculation about the possibility that she would appear again on the balcony, on Sunday, to highlight the civil parade that aspires to represent facets of her reign, the last official event of the Jubilee.
Prince Charles, accompanied by his wife Camila, will take over from the queen in the religious service, as has been happening in different acts in recent months. The two set an informal tone for the massive celebrations on Thursday, stopping to chat with parade spectators on the way to their residence at Clarence House, just outside Buckingham.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, are expected to attend the church service. The curiosity about his presence is incited by the media, critics of his statements and activities in recent months. Last night it was also announced that the Duke of York, Andrés, will not attend mass in San Pablo because he has contracted covid. This avoids a thorny issue for the image of the British monarchy.
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