Queen Elizabeth II has taken ill and "has reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days", Buckingham Palace informed on Wednesday. The announcement was made as the 95-year-old monarch cancelled a planned trip to Northern Ireland on medical grounds.
Britain's domestic Press Association news agency, however, clarified that the decision was not related to the coronavirus and that she was resting at Windsor Castle in London, where she moved last year.
She was also expected to attend events at the upcoming UN climate change summit in Glasgow next month, it added.
The Queen was "in good spirits and is disappointed that she will no longer be able to visit Northern Ireland, where she had been due to undertake a series of engagements" the next two days to mark the 100th anniversary of the creation of Northern Ireland, the palace said, as quoted by news agency AFP.
"The Queen sends her warmest good wishes to the people of Northern Ireland, and looks forward to visiting in the future," the palace statement added.
Queen Elizabeth II is Britain's longest-serving monarch, succeeded her father, King George VI, in 1952. She will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee to mark 70 years on the throne next year. Her husband, Prince Philip, died aged 99 in April this year.
{{/usCountry}}Queen Elizabeth II is Britain's longest-serving monarch, succeeded her father, King George VI, in 1952. She will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee to mark 70 years on the throne next year. Her husband, Prince Philip, died aged 99 in April this year.
{{/usCountry}}The Queen appeared well on Tuesday evening, when she hosted a reception at Windsor for international business leaders, including the billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, and senior British ministers, for a government investment summit.
However, the latest palace statement will inevitably raise fears for her health. She was also seen for the first time at a major public event using a walking stick, AFP reported. Royal officials have denied its link to any health condition.