HM The Queen has withdrawn from attending the Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, Buckingham Palace has announced.
The monarch has expressed her reluctance to stay away in a statement, which added that her son The Prince of Wales will be representing her the service, which will be televised on Friday as part of the second day of celebrations to mark her 70th anniversary on the throne.
The decision for the Queen to stay at home comes after she experienced “discomfort” during Thursday’s first full day of celebrations. Her Majesty, who is 96, has been suffering from episodic mobility problems in recent months, and had previously scaled down her commitments in preparation for the four-day Jubilee Weekend.
Despite this, the Queen will still be taking part in the ceremony to light more than 3,500 beacons across the UK and in the capitals of the 54 Commonwealth countries planned for Thursday evening.
The first beacon will be lit outside Buckingham Palace in London by the Queen’s grandson Prince William – as the Queen touches a globe from her home in Windsor Castle.
The decision for the monarch to stay away from St Paul’s Cathedral comes after she appeared on the famous Royal Balcony of Buckingham Palace on Thursday, when she joined other family members to observe the Flypast of jets to mark the beginning of celebrations for the UK’s four-day Jubilee Weekend.
