The annual service at Westminster Abbey marking Commonwealth Day has taken place without the Queen – but in a statement she stressed her commitment to continue to serve.
The decision for her to pull out of the event was not believed to be related to any illness, but was made following discussions about the comfort of getting the 95-year-old monarch from her Windsor Castle home to the service in London and back.
The Queen, who recently recovered from having COVID, now regularly uses a walking stick.
And she recently told two senior military officers during a Windsor reception “well, as you can see, I can’t move” when asked how she was, suggesting a mobility issue.
At the service, she was represented by her son, Prince Charles, who was joined by other members of the Royal Family, including the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Prior to the occasion, the Queen gave her annual message to the “family of nations” and its 2.5 billion citizens.
Royal correspondent
On a day when inevitably the focus again is on the Queen’s health after she decided not to attend the Commonwealth Day Service, the message from Her Majesty could not be clearer – this is not a sign of her giving up.
In the words she has written to her Commonwealth “family” she stresses her commitment to continue to serve.
“In this year of my Platinum Jubilee, it has given me pleasure to renew the promise I made in 1947, that my life will always be devoted in service,” she writes, reinforcing the words from her Accession Day message a few weeks ago that service and duty are what continue to drive her, even as she approaches her 96th birthday next month.
I understand her decision not to go to the service today wasn’t to do with any recent health issues, and it sounds like she decided to miss it for very practical reasons.
She admitted herself recently that she’s been having trouble standing, so travelling to the Abbey from Windsor, walking the long distance down the aisle to her seat and then sitting through an hour long service was probably just going to be too much.
Again she’s asked the Prince of Wales to represent her at Westminster Abbey, a common trend as we’ve seen subtle signs of transition in recent years.
And yes it will now be up to the younger members of the family to maintain most of the face-to-face contact with the Commonwealth realms and nations.
It’s been confirmed that Prince Charles and Camilla will attend the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Rwanda in the summer, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit the Caribbean later this week.
But speak to anyone at Westminster Abbey today and there is no doubt they will all agree that it is still the Queen who remains the most important figurehead of this body of nations, and at the service her presence will have been missed.
‘Testing times’
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In her statement, she said she hoped the people of the Commonwealth “can draw strength and inspiration from what we share” during these “testing times”, as many places continue to battle coronavirus and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens world peace and economic stability.
The Queen, who takes a special interest in the institution made up of dozens of countries, said it had made her happy, during her Platinum Jubilee marking 70 years as monarch, to reaffirm the pledge she made in 1947 as a 21-year-old to devote her life in service to the nation and Commonwealth.
She said: “In this year of my Platinum Jubilee, it has given me pleasure to renew the promise I made in 1947, that my life will always be devoted in service.
“Today, it is rewarding to observe a modern, vibrant and connected Commonwealth that combines a wealth of history and tradition with the great social, cultural and technological advances of our time. That the Commonwealth stands ever taller is a credit to all who have been involved.”
Commonwealth a ‘point of friendship’
The head of state went on to say: “Our family of nations continues to be a point of connection, co-operation and friendship.
“It is a place to come together to pursue common goals and the common good, providing everyone with the opportunity to serve and benefit.
“In these testing times, it is my hope that you can draw strength and inspiration from what we share, as we work together towards a healthy, sustainable and prosperous future for all.”
On Friday, 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 service would have been the Queen’s first major public appearance since reaching her Platinum Jubilee milestone in February.
She last missed the service nine years ago, in 2013, while recovering from a nasty bout of gastroenteritis.
Before that, the Queen had not been absent from a Commonwealth Day observance service for 20 years, the last time being when she had flu in 1993.
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The Queen spent a night in hospital last October and has been mainly limited to carrying out duties virtually since then after being advised to rest by her doctors.
Last month she tested positive for coronavirus, suffering mild cold-like symptoms, but was well enough to meet Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week.
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