Radar Online
Queen Elizabeth reportedly chose to skip the first day of the annual Royal Windsor Horse Show, opting instead to pay a “secret visit” to her own horses who are set to compete in the show this coming weekend, Radar has learned.
In a surprising development that came amid growing concerns regarding the 96-year-old queen's heath and mobility issues, Her Majesty called off her appearance at the Royal Windsor Horse Show on Thursday at nearly the very last minute.
But while many suspected the queen's failure to appear for the event was a result of her ongoing mobility issues, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace insisted Queen Elizabeth “simply changed her mind” and sent Princess Beatrice in her place instead.
That is the startling revelation from a recent Daily Mail report that claimed Queen Elizabeth has not missed the annual Royal Windsor Horse Show in 79 years, and while she skipped the week-long show's first day on Thursday, the queen is fully expected to make an appearance for the show's competition and activities Sunday night.
Princess Beatrice, who is expected to remain in the queen's place until Elizabeth changes her mind, said she was “delighted to be asked to play the role of the Queen” and would make sure the horse show proceeds “without a hitch should Her Majesty wish to attend the Royal Windsor Horse Show in this way.”
As RadarOnline.com reported, this is just the latest event Queen Elizabeth has missed in recent weeks and it came just days after Her Majesty was forced to forgo the State Opening of Parliament for the third time in more than 60 years.
Buckingham Palace cited the queen's ongoing mobility issues as the reason for the sudden withdrawal, and Prince Charles – accompanied by Prince William – read Elizabeth's speech instead.
“At Her Majesty's request, and with the agreement of the relevant authorities, The Prince of Wales will read The Queen's speech on Her Majesty's behalf, with The Duke of Cambridge also in attendance,” Buckingham Palace's statement said
The statement also admitted that Queen Elizabeth “continues to experience episodic mobility problems” and she “reluctantly” agreed with her doctors to skip the State Opening of Parliament out of an abundance of concern for her health.
Concerns over Elizabeth's health and mobility also come just weeks before her Platinum Jubilee celebration – marking 70 years on the throne – is set to kick off in June.
Her Majesty is fully expecting to attend the Platinum Jubilee celebration and festivities, and is reportedly “looking forward” to the highly-anticipated and historic event.
