The Queen's attendance at her beloved husband Prince Philip's memorial service is "in the balance".
In just over a week's time, a memorial service of thanksgiving will be held at Westminster Abbey in honour of the Duke of Edinburgh, who died aged 99 last April.
Most members of the Royal Family are expected to attend but the event comes at a time when the monarch has been forced to pull out of several engagements of late.
One of them was Monday's Commonwealth Day service, also at the Abbey, with the decision to cancel her appearance understood to be related to her comfort travelling the 26-mile journey from Windsor Castle to London and sitting through the event, rather than a specific illness.
The 95-year-old monarch has faced increasing issues with her mobility in recent months, leaving her “on certain days” struggling to get about, according to palace sources.
And according to Russell Myers, the Daily Mirror's royal editor, it's not a given she will attend her late husband's memorial.
He told True Royalty TV's The Royal Beat: "You have to be realistic. [She is] just weeks away from 96, she has accepted her own limitations.
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"She’s having issues moving around, [and is] described by people at the Palace as having good days and less good days... I don’t think we’ll ever see her step back, but we probably will see her less and less.
"Will she make Prince Philip ’s memorial service in a few days? That’s in the balance.”
Meanwhile, Alan Jones, royal correspondent for the UK’s Press Association news agency, added: “The Queen obviously wanted to be at the Commonwealth Service... but she’s got mobility issues. The word we’ve been guided to use is the Queen’s comfort [is the priority].”
However, one family member who definitely won't be attending the memorial on March 29 is Prince Harry.
It comes amid his legal case against the Home Office over his security arrangements in the UK. It is understood the 37-year-old royal plans to visit the Queen as soon as possible, but it is not clear when that will be.
The last time Harry was in the UK was to unveil the statue of his late mother Princess Diana alongside his brother Prince William in July 2021.
He has applied for a judicial review of a Home Office decision not to allow him to personally pay for police protection for himself and his family when they are in the UK, a legal representative has said.
He wants to bring his children to visit from the US, but he and his family are "unable to return to his home" because it is too dangerous, a legal representative previously said.
The Royal Beat - available on True Royalty TV.
