Queen Elizabeth has missed a New Year’s Day church service as she continues to recover from a “heavy cold,” a Buckingham Palace spokesman says.
It has been reported that the 90-year-old monarch and her husband, Prince Philip, have been under the weather for most of the holiday season, having previously delayed their traditional journey to their country home, Sandringham House, in Norfolk after falling ill before Christmas.
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was however able to attend a Christmas Day church service while he also attended the New Year’s Day service alongside Princess Anne, Prince Edward and other members of the Royal Family.
The Queen has remained indoors to recuperate from the persisting illness, according to an earlier Buckingham Palace statement.
It is the first year that the monarch has missed a Christmas Day church service since she began celebrating the holidays at Sandringham back in 1998.
