Queen Elizabeth Pulls Out Of Royal Maundy Service As Concern Grows Over British Monarch's Health
Queen Elizabeth will no longer be attending the annual Maundy Day church service, Buckingham Palace announced in a statement Friday.
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will appear on her behalf for the event at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, on April 14, marking a first for Queen Elizabeth's reign.
The monarch, 95, usually distributes Maundy money to pensioners at the service done in honor of Jesus washing the Apostles' feet at the Last Supper, although the last two events in 2020 and 2021 were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Queen previously attended in 2019 alongside Princess Eugenie.
News of her being a no-show at the upcoming event comes as concern mounts over her health following Elizabeth's COVID-19 diagnosis. In February, the palace confirmed she tested positive for the virus and was experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms.
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As Britain's longest-reigning monarch with 70 years on the throne, the Queen was sent countless well-wishes on her road to recovery.
"She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines," the palace said in a statement.
Hours later, a report surfaced claiming the Queen had died, which RadarOnline.com confirmed to be false.
The Queen has since stepped out for the Service of Thanksgiving in London honoring her late husband, Prince Philip, for which she was joined by her disgraced son, Prince Andrew.
"People around the Queen are sad that all everyone was talking about is Prince Andrew and not Prince Philip," a royal insider told People. "It does make some sense that he accompanies her because he doesn't have a partner. A settlement has been paid but he's guilty of nothing in the eyes of the law," the insider explained in the wake of his sexual assault scandal, which has since been settled.
"She has faith in Andrew. Even if he disappears from public life, he's been able to pay tribute to his father, who after all, was very proud of his service in the Royal Navy, where he fought in the Falkland Islands conflict."