The Queen will not attend the annual Commonwealth Day service due to be held on Monday, Buckingham Palace has announced.
The event at Westminster Abbey will be attended by senior royals with the Prince of Wales representing the Queen.
It comes after the head of state recently recovered from Covid after testing positive on February 20.
She last pulled out of attending the service nine years ago in 2013 while recovering from gastroenteritis.
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A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “After discussing the arrangements with the Royal Household, the Queen has asked the Prince of Wales to represent Her Majesty at the Commonwealth service at Westminster Abbey on Monday.
“The Queen will continue with other planned engagements, including in-person audiences, in the week ahead.”
The spokesman also revealed another member of the royal family has contracted Covid.
He said: “The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester will no longer attend, following the duke’s positive test for Covid.
“The Queen’s Commonwealth Day message will be distributed in the usual way.”
The monarch returned to in-person events on Monday, after contracting the virus, when she welcomed Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau to Windsor Castle for an audience.
During her meeting with Mr Trudeau, the head of state was not pictured with the walking stick she has been using of late and the pair shared a joke at the start of their meeting.
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