Queen Elizabeth II skips event after spraining back

Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday skipped the Remembrance Day service, a tribute to British personnel who died during the war, because she sprained her back.

Buckingham Palace announced on Sunday that the 95-year-old queen would miss the highly anticipated event because of her recent injury.

“The Queen, having sprained her back, has decided this morning with great regret that she will not be able to attend today’s Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph,” officials said in a statement hours before the ceremony was set to begin, according to The Associated Press.

“Her Majesty is disappointed that she will miss the service,” they added.

The Remembrance Day service was expected to be the queen’s first public appearance since her hospital visit in October. The Queen spent a night at the hospital for “preliminary investigations.” Buckingham Palace did not reveal any more information regarding her health status at the time other than saying it was not related to COVID-19.

At the end of October, Buckingham Palace said the queen had been told to rest for two weeks and cut back on her schedule by doctors. Her stay at the hospital was her first in eight years, according to the AP.

Sunday’s event is one of the most important gatherings on the calendar of the queen, who served as an army driver and mechanic during World War II, the news service noted.