Is Queen OK? From quitting drinking to canceling trips, all the worrying signs
Following "medical advice" from her doctors, Queen Elizabeth II has canceled a trip to Northern Ireland at the last minute, prompting concerns over her health. The monarch is said to have "reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days," according to a statement from Buckingham Palace.
According to the palace, the 95-year-old was due to travel to Northern Ireland on Wednesday, October 20, for a two-day visit. The statement said: "The Queen has reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days. Her Majesty is in good spirits and is disappointed that she will no longer be able to visit Northern Ireland, where she had been due to undertake a series of engagements today and tomorrow. The Queen sends her warmest good wishes to the people of Northern Ireland, and looks forward to visiting in the future."
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Doctors tell Queen to STOP drinking! Here's the tipple she'll miss then most
The Guardian confirmed that the decision to let the queen rest for a few days and restrict her travel was not made due to a Covid-19 related reason. She is currently resting at Windsor Castle, after hosting a reception for business leaders, tech entrepreneurs, and politicians on Tuesday, following the government's Global Investment Summit.
Queen 'ordered' to quit drinking
Over the weekend, it was revealed that royal doctors had "ordered" the queen of England to "quit drinking." The 95-year-old monarch, however, has allegedly been advised to generally avoid alcohol except for special occasions. Two sources close to the Queen noted in a magazine that royal doctors gave the advice ahead of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations next June. "The Queen has been told to give up her evening drink which is usually a martini," a family friend allegedly told Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl. "It's not really a big deal for her, she is not a big drinker but it seems a trifle unfair that at this stage in her life she's having to give up one of her very few pleasures."
While the monarch is rarely seen drinking in public, palace sources have revealed that her alcoholic beverage of choice is often a dry martini, just like her son Prince Charles. The Queen is also believed to nurse a glass of sweet wine with dinner. Her late cousin Margaret Rhodes once revealed how she was known to drink a glass of champagne before going to sleep. But as fate would have it, "the alcohol has gone, her doctors want to make sure she is as fit and healthy as possible," the magazine quoted a second source as saying. Beyond wine and martini, Her Majesty is also known to request Dubonnet and gin — the late Queen Mother's favorite tipple — from time to time.
Monarch seen using cane
The monarch was seen using a cane while attending a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey to celebrate 100 years of the Royal British Legion, which is the UK's largest military charity group in early October. It was the first time she had been photographed using a cane in over a decade. The last time she had required additional assistance was in 2003 after undergoing knee surgery.
At present, the queen is scheduled to attend COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, taking place in Glasgow at the end of October. It is uncertain if she will also end up canceling that trip due to medical advice.