Waterloo Region Record

Queen returns home to Windsor Castle after hospital visit

DANICA KIRKA

LONDON — The Queen was back at Windsor Castle on Friday and in good spirits after revelations that she spent the night in a London hospital earlier this week.

Buckingham Palace said Queen Elizabeth, 95, went to the private King Edward VII’s Hospital in London on Wednesday for “preliminary investigations.” She returned to her Windsor Castle home at lunchtime on Thursday and was understood to be back at her desk by afternoon, undertaking light duties.

The Queen underwent the tests after she cancelled a scheduled trip to mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland, and the palace said she had “reluctantly” accepted medical advice to rest for a few days. The matter was not related to COVID-19.

The palace does not normally offer a running account of the monarch’s health, citing her privacy. However, in this case it confirmed the queen’s hospital stay after The Sun newspaper reported the news.

On the whole, there is a rule of thumb that if a senior member of the royal family undergoes a procedure or an operation, there is a medical bulletin, royal expert Robert Hardman told the BBC. But that doesn’t apply to tests.

“She hates people making a fuss of her in general but particularly to do with health,” Hardman said. “And I think there’s a concern to sort of maintain the dignity of the office, and I know that one reason why nothing was said about yesterday’s trip to hospital was that they sort of didn’t suddenly want sort of huge banks of cameras and 24hour news setting up outside.’’

There has been some disquiet this week about the Queen’s health. Only days ago, she was seen using a walking stick at a Westminster Abbey service marking the centenary of the Royal British Legion. Though she used a cane in 2003, it was after she underwent knee surgery.

Focus then turned to her hectic schedule, which has in recent days included audiences with diplomats, a reception at Windsor Castle for global business leaders, and attending the horse races at Ascot Racecourse. In less than two weeks she is due to host world leaders at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland — a big engagement cited as one reason why she might want to rest up in advance.

Elizabeth is due to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee — 70 years on the throne — next year.

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2021-10-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

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