Queen pulls out annual visit to Sandringham branch of the Women’s Institute in Norfolk due to cold
THE Queen was forced to pull out of an annual royal engagement today because she has a cold. Her Majesty was unable to attend the Women’s Institute meeting in Norfolk, which she goes to every year at West Newton village hall. The 93-year-old monarch usually joins the WI ladies for tea and cake, then listens […]
THE Queen was forced to pull out of an annual royal engagement today because she has a cold.
Her Majesty was unable to attend the Women’s Institute meeting in Norfolk, which she goes to every year at West Newton village hall.
The 93-year-old monarch usually joins the WI ladies for tea and cake, then listens to a speech, which was made this year by BBC newsreader Huw Edwards.
But around half-an-hour before her expected arrival at West Newton Village Hall on Thursday, a member of her security team told assembled reporters and photographers that she will not be coming this year.
They told waiting media the Queen was “not feeling up to it”.
The Queen has attended the WI group’s meetings since 1943 and took over as President from the Queen Mother, who in turn took over from Queen Mary.
She was last seen over the weekend, heading to church in Sandringham with her son Prince Andrew.
ROYAL FAMILY DRAMA
It comes after a tumultuous few weeks for the Royal Family which saw Prince Harry and Meghan Markle quit as royals.
Harry sat down with his grandmother to thrash out details of the so-called Megxit – with it decided the couple would pay back the £2.4m of taxpayer money spent on refurbishing Frogmore Cottage.
The couple will also live in Canada part-time.
Announcing the decision, the Queen said the couple, including their eight-month-old son Archie, would “always be much loved members” of her family.
She said: “I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life.
“I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family.
“It is my whole family’s hope that today’s agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.”
MOST READ IN NEWS
It came after Prince Andrew was forced to step down from public duties last year after his disastrous Newsnight interview in which he failed to show empathy to the victims of his paedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein.
But he attended church with the Queen at Sandringham as the monarch beamed following the conclusion of discussions over the future of Harry and Meghan.
The Duke is said to have been a “tower of strength” behind the scenes in the last two weeks and has been supporting his parents in their hour of need.