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Turns out there's a good reason the queen has been cancelling her official engagements of late and it’s one that will tug at the heartstrings of royal fans.
Her Majesty is now forced to use a wheelchair and doesn’t want to be seen in public in it as she's proud and “doesn’t want to be seen struggling”, according to English actor and TV presenter Christopher Biggins.
Speaking on UK TV channel GB News, he added, “It’s so sad and I hope she's able to make her anniversary celebrations.”
Queen Elizabeth is also said to be desperate not to be seen in public in a wheelchair over fears of replicating a haunting photo taken of her late sister, Princess Margaret, in the final months before her death in February 2002 aged 71.
While the monarch has continued to carry out some engagements in person such as holding private audiences at Windsor Castle, she pulled out of the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey this month.
Her increasing frailty has sparked concern over whether she’ll be able to attend her platinum jubilee celebrations this year to honour her record-breaking 70 years as queen.
A host of festivities have been planned throughout the UK and Commonwealth, including the Trooping the Colour ceremony that will mark her 96th birthday and takes place in the first week of June.
But her deteriorating health continues to cast a shadow over events.
Last October she was hospitalised and underwent a series of tests, with doctors telling her she needed to rest and recuperate and lessen her duty load. As a result, the queen was forced to cancel her planned visit to Northern Ireland.
Since then other senior royals, in particular her heir, Prince Charles (73), and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (74), as well as Charles' eldest son, Prince William (39), and his wife, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge (40), have increasingly stepped up to the plate to help.
In February the palace announced Her Majesty had contracted Covid-19 despite being fully vaccinated. They stated she was “experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but was expected to continue light duties”. She’s believed to have made a full recovery.
In light of the above, Buckingham Palace is reportedly planning a military-style operation to get Her Majesty to the memorial service of her late husband, Prince Philip, on 27 March. He passed away last year aged 99.
She'll apparently be flown from Windsor Castle to Buckingham Palace by helicopter and then taken by car to Westminster Abbey where the entire Dean’s Yard will be sealed off according to the plans, which include 1,8m privacy screens and a potential soccer-style tunnel that would block off any photographers’ views.
Aides then believe she only needs to take a short walk to her seat in The Sanctuary.
Whether she'll be seated first before the rest of the guests rather than arriving last, as is royal tradition, is reportedly also being explored.
All senior royals are expected to attend, including the queen’s grandchildren (barring Prince Harry) and their spouses as well as members of European royalty and Philip’s surviving family members from Germany.
“Understandably, the queen doesn’t want to be seen in a wheelchair,” royal expert Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, told Britain's The Sun newspaper.
“But as the head of state and someone who wants to be seen and needs to be seen, she might concede to a wheelchair. The best way of doing that is to make sure there are no photographs taken.
“She'll be thinking that if it were her thanksgiving ceremony, he [Philip] would move heaven and earth to make sure he was there.”
Last year the queen’s former doctor Dr Anna Hemming revealed that the ultimate goal of Her Majesty’s medical team “is to keep the monarch safe, healthy and comfortable so she can do her job to the best of her ability.”
SOURCES: DAILYMAIL.CO.UK, TODAY.COM, THELIST.COM
