Britain's Queen Elizabeth has cancelled her planned virtual engagements after continuing to suffer from mild cold-like symptoms due to Covid, Buckingham Palace has announced.
The monarch, 95, tested positive for the virus on Sunday, and had audiences via video link planned for Tuesday.
The Palace said she would still continue with light duties, but it is understood further engagements over the coming week will be decided on nearer the time.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “As Her Majesty is still experiencing mild cold-like symptoms she has decided not to undertake her planned virtual engagements today, but will continue with light duties.”
Concern for the UK’s longest-reigning sovereign will be at peak levels given her age, her Covid diagnosis and recent health scare.
She had continued working, issuing a message of condolence to the Brazilian president over flooding in his country while self-isolating at Windsor Castle on Monday.
The Queen is due to speak to British prime minister Boris Johnson by telephone on Wednesday for their weekly audience, and is also likely to have other planned virtual audiences in the diary.
But these are now likely to be under review, as will the major engagement the Queen has next week.
She is set to host the Diplomatic Reception on March 2nd, where she will meet hundreds of members of the Diplomatic Corps at Windsor.
The Queen is also due to attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14th and then the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service, also at the Abbey, on March 29th.
The Royal Household has its own royal physicians and the Queen’s doctors will be keeping a close eye on the head of state and monitoring her progress, with Professor Sir Huw Thomas, head of the Medical Household and Physician to the Queen, expected to be in charge.
The Queen has only just celebrated her Platinum Jubilee of 70 years on the throne, reaching the milestone on February 6th.
She is believed to be triple vaccinated but until recently had been on doctors’ orders to rest and only undertake light duties since mid-October.
She cancelled a run of major engagements, and also secretly spent a night in hospital on October 20th undergoing preliminary tests.
She now regularly uses a walking stick and has been pictured recently looking frailer.
She has spoken of her mobility issues, telling two senior military officers during a Windsor Castle audience: “Well, as you can see, I can’t move.”
The Queen, whose husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, died in April, spent much of the pandemic in the safety of the Berkshire royal residence, protected in “HMS Bubble”, the nickname given to her reduced household of dedicated staff.
The monarch, who for almost two years avoided contracting Covid, has served as a symbol of national stability during the pandemic, delivering two rare televised addresses to the nation weeks apart.
National celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee are set for June, in honour of her decades of royal service.
