Queen Elizabeth II’s appearances in the last month

Queen Elizabeth II, 95, was on Wednesday seen at an in-person engagement for the first time since being advised to rest by doctors last month.

Here is a timeline of a tough month for Britain’s longest-reigning monarch that has raised public concerns for her health.

– October 19: the Queen is all smiles at a Windsor Castle reception for guests at a government international donors conference, alongside princes Charles and William.

Among those invited are the Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, US climate envoy John Kerry, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

– October 20: Buckingham Palace announces “with regret” the cancellation of the Queen’s planned two-day trip to Northern Ireland, saying doctors have advised her to rest.

– October 21: royal officials are forced to confirm a report in The Sun newspaper that she spent a night in hospital after being taken for “preliminary investigations”.

No details were given about the tests and the Queen returned to Windsor Castle at lunchtime the next day, and was said to be in “good spirits” undertaking “light duties”.

The overnight stay was put down to “practical reasons”.

– October 24: misses church service at Windsor.

– October 26: makes first reappearance virtually, by video link to receive the incoming ambassadors from South Korea and Switzerland.

Photos show her on screen smiling and wearing a yellow dress.

Several hours later, she “regretfully” announces she will not travel to Glasgow where she had been due to host events at the UN climate change summit, and meet world leaders.

She later sent a recorded message which was broadcast at the conference on November 1.

– October 28: again appears on a video call to present David Constantine with the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry 2020.

A 24-second video of the meeting broadcast on palace social media channels again shows her smiling and chatting with the poet.

– October 29: doctors advise the Queen to rest for “at least the next two weeks” and only undertake “light, desk-based duties during this time, including some virtual audiences”.

– November 1: the British media publishes photos of the Queen, wearing sunglasses and a headscarf, driving a green Jaguar in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

– November 10: meets in private with PM Johnson.

– November 14: the Queen pulls out of the annual Remembrance Sunday event at the Cenotaph war memorial in central London, just hours before it is due to start.

The monarch had previously said it was her “firm intention” to participate at the ceremony, which honours the dead and military veterans in all conflicts since World War I.

The palace explains her absence by a “strained back”.

She also withdraws from attending the formal opening the Church of England assembly the General Synod on November 16.

– November 17: conducts her first public engagement in person, meeting the outgoing chief of defence staff, Nick Carter, at Windsor.

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