ONE MUST REST
THE Queen was seen back at work having video chats yesterday — and will do the same thing to join the COP26 summit next week.
Her Majesty — who spent a night in hospital last week — was pictured smiling at Windsor Castle as she held virtual audiences with ambassadors.
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Yesterday it was announced that she had pulled out of meeting world leaders at the climate change gathering in Glasgow after being advised to rest by doctors.
The 95-year-old monarch will instead record a video message for the summit.
Sources close to the Queen said she “regretfully decided” not to travel but they stressed she is in "good spirits". Royal experts said the move was a "sensible precaution".
Speaking on Good Morning Britain today, the Queen's former press secretary Dickie Arbiter said: "Given that there are reported to be 30,000 people pouring into Glasgow for this particular conference I think it's been the palace and her medical team being safer than sorry."
He added: "There is concern that the infections will spike during the course of this COP26 conference. So they are keeping the Queen safe, keeping her safe in the bubble.
"She will carry on working, as we saw her yesterday, doing her audiences with ambassadors, doing her red boxes. But I think taking her to COP26 is a step too far."
The Sun revealed on Friday how Her Majesty spent a night at King Edward VII hospital in London after having what palace sources described as “preliminary investigations” following health worries.
Buckingham Palace has given no further information on her hospital stay. We also reported how the Queen missed a trip to church on Sunday.
And she cancelled a two-day visit to Northern Ireland. The monarch was due to attend a gala reception at COP26 next Monday evening.
A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: “Following advice to rest, the Queen has been undertaking light duties at Windsor Castle.
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“Her Majesty is disappointed not to attend the reception but will deliver an address to the assembled delegates via a recorded video message.”
Yesterday the Queen seemed back to her best as she held two virtual audiences.
Dressed in yellow, she spoke to the ambassadors of North Korea and Switzerland as part of her role as Head of State.
Sources say she was expecting a call with Chancellor Rishi Sunak last night ahead of today’s Budget.
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And she is due to carry out further “light engagements” featuring in her diary in the coming days.
Royal author Penny Junor said: “Where she has to engage with people is much more exhausting than being a spectator at something or a video message.
“A reception is so much hard work for someone of her age. I think this is just a sensible precaution. Travelling from Windsor to Glasgow for an evening reception is tough.”
She added: “Not many people aged 95 would be up for travelling that distance and being on display and having to engage with so many people as she would have to.
“It is very important we saw her on the video call and she is clearly herself and nicely presented as always and doing her job. It is remarkable for a woman of her age.”
The Queen has carried out 120 engagements since husband Prince Philip’s death in April.
HER MAJ 'REMARKABLE'
Both Prince Charles and Prince William are expected to be at COP26 along with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
World leaders flying in for the summit include US President Joe Biden and French leader Emmanuel Macron.
But Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping are not thought to be attending.
Sources close to the Queen said she hopes her cancellation will not encourage others to pull out of the event.
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Her Majesty is said to want COP26 to be a success and see meaningful actions.
Two weeks ago she was recorded on an engagement saying that it was “irritating” that world leaders “talk but don’t do”.
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Royal Correspondent Dickie Arbiter says The Queen is right to miss COP26 as covid-19 infections will spike during the course of the conference