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The Queen to miss COP26 summit following hospital visit

Her Majesty will still send a video message

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Matthew Moore
Online News Writer & Diversity and Inclusion Lead
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Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the Queen will not be attending the COP26 summit due to be held in Glasgow later this month.

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In a statement, the Palace said: "Following advice to rest, The Queen has been undertaking light duties at Windsor Castle. Her Majesty has regretfully decided that she will no longer travel to Glasgow to attend the Evening Reception of COP26 on Monday, 1st November.

"Her Majesty is disappointed not to attend the reception but will deliver an address to the assembled delegates via a recorded video message."

WATCH: The Queen cancels Northern Ireland visit

HELLO! understands that decision was taken "regretfully" and that she hoped no one else would use absence as a reason not to attend.

MORE: The Queen's four hospital stays throughout her reign

READ: The Queen receives heartwarming family visit following her hospital stay

The video message will be recorded later this week by the royal.

It is also understood that she is still engaging in other royal duties, including a phone call with the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, later on Tuesday evening in order to discuss his forthcoming budget, which is due to be delivered on Wednesday.

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Her Majesty was due to attend the conference

Earlier on Tuesday, she carried out her first royal engagements since her hospital stay last week as she met the ambassador from the Republic of Korea, Gunn Kim, during a virtual audience from Windsor Castle.

She also held a virtual audience with the ambassador from the Swiss Confederation, Markus Leitner, who was accompanied by his wife Nicole Leitner.

DISCOVER: Why Windsor Castle is the perfect place for the Queen to rest

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It is the first time the 95-year-old head of state has been seen – albeit on a computer screen – since she hosted a busy evening reception for the global investment summit on October 19.

The Queen was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital last Wednesday night, making it her first hospital stay in eight years. It comes after the monarch cancelled a two-day visit to Northern Ireland.

queen windsor© Photo: Alamy

Her Majesty held engagements earlier on Tuesday

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said on Thursday night: "Following medical advice to rest for a few days, The Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today, and remains in good spirits."

It is understood the overnight stay was for practical reasons and the Queen was back at her desk on Thursday afternoon and was undertaking light duties. She did however miss a church service at Windsor on Sunday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was among those to publicly send his best wishes to Her Majesty, as he visited a vaccine centre in London on Friday.

He said: "I think everybody sends Her Majesty our very, very best wishes. And certainly we have from the Government. But I'm given to understand that actually Her Majesty is characteristically back at her desk at Windsor as we speak. But we send her every possible good wish."

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