Royals

The Queen Is Back to Light Duties as the Rest of the Royals Fill In

One insider has said that “the public won’t see her out and about as much,” and on Tuesday she sent Prince Edward to read her speech at the Church of England’s national assembly.
The Queen Is Back to Light Duties as the Rest of the Royals Fill In
Images from Getty. 

When Queen Elizabeth first announced that she was clearing her schedule for two weeks after receiving doctors’ advice to rest, the palace said she still planned to attend Remembrance Sunday services on November 14. So it came as a surprise on Sunday morning when the palace announced that the queen would skip the event she had only missed seven times in her nearly 70 years on the throne. Kate Middleton, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, took their places on the balcony of the Cenotaph, with Kate in the center where the queen would have stood.

In a statement, the palace explained that a sprained back was to blame for the change in schedule, adding that her new injury is unrelated to the initial, undisclosed illness that led to her one-night hospital stay last month. The Times later reported that there was concern about her having to stand for up to half an hour during the service, as well as enduring the car journey. 

“It is obviously incredibly unfortunate timing, and nobody regrets the Queen’s absence today more deeply than Her Majesty herself,” a royal source told the newspaper. “Her Majesty is deeply disappointed to miss the engagement which she regards as one of the most significant engagements of the year. She hopes to continue as planned with her schedule of light official duties next week.”

Other than the palace’s initial statement about the “preliminary investigations” she underwent during her hospital stay and the new comments about her sprained back, there have been few official disclosures about the state of the 95-year-old’s health. After she pulled out of the Remembrance Sunday services, a royal insider told the Daily Mail that “the public won’t see her out and about as much,” though she will continue “carrying out less taxing engagements within palace walls.” 

It’s a sign that royal watchers should get used to seeing her children and grandchildren fill in for her, even at the engagements she cares about the most. On Tuesday, she sent Prince Edward in her stead on a visit to the Church of England’s national assembly, the General Synod. According to the Telegraph, the queen has never before missed the event, which takes place every five years. Edward delivered prepared remarks on behalf of his mother. In the speech, the queen commented on the “anxiety, grief, and weariness” of the pandemic and noted that “none of us can slow the passage of time.” 

On Monday, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, left for a four-day trip to Jordan and Egypt, their first foreign tour since the beginning of the pandemic. According to a royal source who spoke to the Mirror, Charles did check in on his mother before he departed to make sure she was following doctors’ orders.

“The Prince of Wales made sure to check in with the Queen ahead of his departure and was completely reassured of her current condition by Her Majesty herself,” the source said. “The Queen is resting at Windsor Castle and will continue to do so until she is back to full health. Straining your back can be incredibly debilitating and rest is best right now.”

More Great Stories From Vanity Fair 

— Inside the Sudden Disappearance of the Art World’s Most Wanted Man
— The Guy Who Bought Jeffrey Epstein’s Jet Has Some Regrets
Eight Books We Couldn’t Put Down This Month
— Why Did the Palace Initially Keep the Queen’s Hospital Stay a Secret?
— The John Mulaney–Olivia Munn Rumor Mill Keeps Churning
— The Best Schitt’s Creek Merchandise
— The Story Behind Prince Harry’s Democratic Roots
This Is 40 for Ivanka Trump
— From the Archive: In Her Majesty’s Private Service
— Sign up for “The Buyline” to receive a curated list of fashion, books, and beauty buys in one weekly newsletter.