Why the Queen's plans have changed to accommodate her health
At 96, the Queen has had a relatively clean bill of health, with few illnesses over her 70-year reign, however, in recent months Her Majesty has taken several remarkable steps to preserve her wellbeing.
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More often than not, the Queen now opts to scale back scheduled events, or to miss them entirely. This week, the monarch cancelled her welcome event at Balmoral Castle, with the Palace suggesting that the change was "in line with adapting Her Majesty's schedule for her comfort."
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The Queen normally leaves these decisions to the last minute, suggesting she hopes to attend, or plans to make adaptions to the event to ensure her comfort if she goes ahead with the engagement.
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Given she has been dedicated to her role, it is suspected Her Majesty only cancels once every other option has been explored – hence the last-minute plan changes.
The Queen missed the majority of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, choosing to skip the Party at the Palace Concert and the Service of Thanksgiving after feeling discomfort during the Trooping of the Colour.
Her Majesty has been experiencing discomfort
Her Majesty also missed the opening of parliament, with Prince Charles taking on this duty. She also chose not to attend the Easter church service and cancelled her appearance at Buckingham Palace's spring garden parties.
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When the Queen does opt to attend events, they seem to either be occasions close to her heart, such as the Royal Windsor Horse Show, or the event is adapted to ensure Her Majesty is as comfortable as possible.
Her Majesty is considerate over the events she attends now
For example, for events held at Westminster Abbey, the Queen now tends to arrive via a door that shortens the distance to her seat, while at ceremonies at St Paul's Cathedral, the monarch no longer arrives via the Great West Door, at the top of a flight of steps, but through another entrance.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: "As you might expect, some adjustments have been made for the Queen's comfort."
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