The Queen cancelled an appearance today due to what royal officials referred to as continuing episodic mobility problems.
Prince Charles stepped in for the first time to deliver the Queen's speech at the State Opening of Parliament.
Her Majesty hasn't missed it in decades, and in fact, she has only skipped it twice due to being pregnant in 1959 with Prince Andrew and 1963 with Prince Edward.
The Queen has missed a number of events this year, including the recent announcement she won't be hosting any of her annual Buckingham Palace garden parties, the Mirror reported.
It appears that the same issue was also the reason behind her lack of attendance at this year's Opening of Parliament.
The statement has left many concerned about the Queen's health and wondering exactly what 'episodic mobility problems' are, so here's everything you need to know.
What's wrong with the Queen and what are episodic mobility problems?
A statement from Buckingham Palace read: "The Queen continues to experience episodic mobility problems, and in consultation with her doctors has reluctantly decided that she will not attend the State Opening of Parliament."
It is common for elderly people to struggle with mobility issues, and at 96, the Queen is well past the average retirement age of most of the nation.
"Episodic" means "happening occasionally and not at regular intervals".
This means that we can understand the Palace's statement as meaning that the Queen occasionally struggles with mobility issues, but doesn't always have problems getting around.
This could perhaps explain why the decision for the Queen to not attend the State Opening this year was made at such short notice, with the Monarch still expected to attend as of early Monday.
How long has the Queen had episodic mobility problems?
Evidence of the Queen's episodic mobility problems first started in October 2021 when she was seen using a walking stick during a Westminster Abbey Service.
It was the first time the Queen had been seen using a cane since 2003 when she was recovering from knee surgery.
In October 2021, the Queen was admitted to hospital for an overnight stay but was back in Windsor the next day.
However, since then the Queen's health issues have led to her cancelling her attendance at a number of important engagements, including the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow and the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph.
In recent months the Queen has only been carrying out light duties such as virtual audiences.
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