The Queen on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with her walking stick (PA)
(Picture: PA Wire)The Queen will miss the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedralin London on Friday “with great reluctance” after experiencing “some discomfort” during Thursday’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Buckingham Palace said.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said the Queen “greatly enjoyed” her birthday parade and flypast in London but “did experience some discomfort”.
The statement said: “Taking into account the journey and activity required to participate in tomorrow’s National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, Her Majesty, with great reluctance, has concluded that she will not attend.”
She is believed to have experienced episodic mobility issues during Thursday’s events.
But she will attend a beacon lighting event at Windsor Castle on Thursday evening, the palace confirmed.
It is understood the decision was considered regrettable but sensible due to the length of the journey and time involved and the physical demands the service would require.
The monarch appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace on Thursday to watch the first day of Jubilee festivities, which included a parade down The Mall and a Red Arrow flypast.
The Queen, who wore pale blue, was also holding a walking stick which was made by Cumbria-based traditional stick maker Dennis Wall.
Thousands descended on The Mall on Thursday to watch Trooping the Colour, catch a glimpse of the royal family, marvel at the Red Arrows and cheer on more than 1,400 soldiers with 250 horses parading towards Buckingham Palace.
In other developments, Prince Andrew will miss the Jubilee service of thanksgiving after testing positive for Covid.
Andrew was set to join the wider royal family at the high-profile event in St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday.
The monarch’s disgraced son stepped down from public life after the furore over his friendship with paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, and paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case to a woman he claimed never to have met.
