Queen Elizabeth Fuels Health Fears As She Cancels Royal Appearance

Queen Elizabeth has royal fans worried about her health following the announcement that the monarch won't be present for a historic event in the U.K. for the first time in over 50 years.

A day before the State Opening of Parliament is set to take place in Westminster, London — a ceremony that the Queen would normally attend — Buckingham Palace announced in a statement that the 96-year-old monarch will miss the annual occasion due to mobility issues.

The Queen's eldest son Prince Charles and her grandson Prince William have jointly been given the authority to open Parliament on her behalf during the constitutional ceremony, which sets out the U.K. government's legislative plans, the BBC reported.

"The Queen continues to experience episodic mobility problems, and in consultation with her doctors has reluctantly decided that she will not attend the State Opening of Parliament tomorrow," a statement from Buckingham Palace read Monday, Us Weekly reported. "At Her Majesty’s request, and with the agreement of the relevant authorities, The Prince of Wales will read The Queen’s speech on Her Majesty’s behalf, with The Duke of Cambridge also in attendance."

Queen Elizabeth has been attending the event since 1952, with the exception of 1959 and 1963, when she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, respectively.

The monarch's absence from the royal engagement follows a series of health scares, including a brief stay in the hospital in October 2021, causing a number of worried royal fans to take to Twitter to express their concern over the Queen's health.

"This is not good. [I'm] getting more and more concerned about the Queen’s health," journalist Piers Morgan tweeted.

"I'm really worried about our Queen," another wrote.

"Sadly, I think she hasn’t got much time left. We barely even see her anymore. I wish her all the best," a third user commented.

Some Twitter users pointed out that the Queen has been slowing down for a while now when it comes to royal duties and can no longer keep up the same schedule that she had years ago. They also asked others not to speculate on Queen Elizabeth's condition and noted that she has the best doctors and nurses to look after her.

"Surely it's the expectation that at 96 she can keep up the same schedule she did 20 years that is the problem," John Crase, the Guardian's parliamentary sketch writer, commented.

"The Queen has been there all along for the nation, and now that she is 96, we can't expect her to keep the same schedule she did 15 years ago. Plus 96 is some age, and no one begrudges her to have a rest at that age. God bless our Queen," another wrote.

"Well, she's not going to live forever. She's old and had a very healthy life so far, so it's natural to proceed this way," a third person wrote.

News of her pulling out of the State Opening of Parliament comes after Entertainment Tonight reported that the Queen recently canceled a number of events and conducted virtual audiences, ahead of her Platinum Jubilee festivities in June, which will celebrate her 70 years on the throne.

Queen Elizabeth won't attend every upcoming Platinum Jubilee event because the palace is pacing her, according to the outlet.

An unnamed family source told ET that the Queen has been "having mobility issues and as a result, her diary has been scaled back."

The monarch has been spotted using a cane multiple times over the past several months. She brought the walking stick that belonged to her late husband, Prince Philip, to an event in February.

Queen Elizabeth, who is understood to be fully vaccinated, also tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this year. She returned to work in March following her bout with the virus.

Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton will lead celebrations for Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, which kick off on June 2 with the traditional birthday parade Trooping the Colour.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be the most senior members of the royal family to travel outside of London during the Queen's celebratory weekend next month, People reported. No dates or location details have been confirmed for the away days.