Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II spent a night at a hospital for the first time in years having cancelled her visit to Northern Ireland for some tests, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday. The Palace said the Queen was admitted to the private King Edward VII’s Hospital in London on Wednesday for “preliminary investigations”.
“Following medical advice to rest for a few days, the Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today (Thursday), and remains in good spirits,” a statement read.
The Queen returned to Windsor Castle on Thursday, where she has been living since March 2020 when the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic struck. According to news agency AFP, the decision on self-isolation was taken because of the increased risk of infection due to her age, although she has since been vaccinated against the viral disease.
On Wednesday, the 95-year-old British monarch called off her visit to Northern Ireland to mark a century since the creation of the country and Buckingham Palace said she “reluctantly” accepted medical advice to rest for a few days.
In less than a fortnight, the Queen is due to host world leaders at the United Nations (UN) climate summit in Scotland.
She has had a busy schedule in recent days. Last week, the Queen delivered a speech at the opening of the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff. During the weekend, she spent a day at the Ascot racecourse.
On Monday, she held a virtual audience with New Zealand’s new governor-general, and on Tuesday, she received two ambassadors, also by video link.
On Tuesday evening, the Queen hosted a reception at Windsor for global business leaders who were attending a government investment summit, including Microsoft’s co-founder and billionaire Bill Gates and senior British ministers.