Queen Elizabeth II misses church due to ‘heavy cold’

Queen Elizabeth II was not well enough to attend the traditional New Year church service because of a lingering cold, Buckingham Palace said on Sunday. The palace said the queen “does not yet feel ready to attend church as she is still recuperating from a heavy cold.” It was unusual for her to miss the service, long part of her New Year’s Day routine.

Her Majesty the Queen will not attend Sunday worship at Sandringham today. The Queen does not yet feel ready to attend church as she is still recuperating from a heavy cold.

Spokesperson for the Palace

Other members of the royal family, including Prince Philip, attended the service on Sunday at the church on the grounds of the Queen’s Sandringham estate.

At 90 - and on the advice of her doctor - she is exercising caution as she recovers from a heavy cold which she’s had for at least 12 days, and which is bound to have left her feeling pretty miserable.

Royal Correspondent for the BBC Peter Hunt