The Queen maintained her typically busy schedule in October until she was told to rest by doctors and cancelled a trip to Northern Ireland over a week ago.
Here is what the 95-year-old monarch has been up to since the start of October:
– October 6: The Queen holds two virtual audiences at Windsor with the Greek ambassador and the ambassador for Belize.
She meets Canadian troops from 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, and later has a telephone audience with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
– October 7: The Queen, with the Earl of Wessex, launches the Queen’s Baton Relay for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games from the forecourt of Buckingham Palace.
– October 12: Accompanied by the Princess Royal, she attends a Westminster Abbey service of thanksgiving to mark the centenary of the Royal British Legion.
She uses a walking stick at the abbey, the first time she has done so at a major event.
– October 13: The monarch has a face-to-face audience with pianist Dame Imogen Cooper to present her with the Queen’s Medal for Music. She also holds three other audiences.
– October 14: On an away day to Cardiff, the Queen delivers a speech at the sixth session of the Welsh Senedd.
– October 16: The Queen enjoys a day at the races at Ascot, and presents the trophy after the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes during the Qipco British Champion Day.
– October 18: She holds a virtual audience with the new governor-general of New Zealand, Dame Cindy Kiro.
– October 19: The Queen has virtual audiences with the Japanese and EU ambassadors, then hosts an evening reception at Windsor Castle to mark the Global Investment Summit.
– October 20: She is under strict orders to rest and “reluctantly” cancels a two-day trip to Northern Ireland.
– October 21: Buckingham Palace confirms the Queen spent the previous night in hospital for “preliminary investigations”.
She returns to Windsor Castle at lunchtime and is said to be in “good spirits”, back at her desk, undertaking light duties.
– October 24: The monarch misses a church service at Windsor.
– October 26: The Queen carries out virtual audiences from Windsor Castle, her first official engagements since she was ordered to rest by doctors.
Later, Buckingham Palace announces the Queen has “reluctantly decided” not to attend a Cop26 reception in Glasgow on November 1.
Instead, she will deliver an address in a recorded video message.
🤝 Today The Queen received two Ambassadors in audience via video link from Windsor Castle.
🌎 There are more than 170 Ambassadors and High Commissioners based in London at any given time and each will have an Audience with The Queen shortly after taking up his or her role. pic.twitter.com/Pf9NiUFGca
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 26, 2021
She also speaks to Chancellor Rishi Sunak ahead of his Budget.
– October 27: The Queen holds her weekly meeting with the Prime Minister by phone.
– October 28: She presents poet David Constantine with the prestigious Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry 2020 in a virtual ceremony, speaking to him by videolink from Windsor Castle.
🥇The 2020 winner of The Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry, David Constantine, has been officially presented with his medal during a virtual Audience with The Queen.
David was joined at Buckingham Palace by the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, who chairs the Poetry Medal Committee. pic.twitter.com/HWGUqkNCS1
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 28, 2021
– October 29: Buckingham Palace announces the Queen has been advised by doctors to rest for the next two weeks and only undertake “desk-based duties”.
The Palace says she has the “firm intention” of leading the nation in honouring the country’s war dead on Remembrance Sunday on November 14.
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