Is Queen Elizabeth II Better? Britain’s Monarch Makes First Public Appearance After Concerns Over Health, Attends Sunday Service At Sandringham

After suffering from a heavy cold through the festive season, Queen Elizabeth II made her first public appearance of 2017 as she attended the morning church service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, on Sunday.

The queen, 90, missed her regular appearances at the church service on Christmas and New Year’s Day as she was “recuperating” from a heavy cold, according to Buckingham Palace. However, concerns were raised about the British monarch’s health as rumors of her death swirled.

Wearing royal blue, the queen was accompanied Sunday by her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and members of the public came out to greet the monarch after her time away from the limelight. A man who was present at the church told BBC: “We saw her very close up. We have been waiting the past three weeks to know she has attended. It is very nice to see her and of course, Prince Philip too.”

Britain’s longest reigning monarch and Prince Philip had to cancel their plans to travel to the queen’s estate in Sandringham for Christmas on Dec. 21 because they were both in ill-health, but they made the journey the next day — by helicopter instead of train. The Duke of Edinburgh recovered and attended church on Christmas day with Prince Charles, Prince Harry and other members of the royal family.

The queen, however, stayed indoors to recover fully.

She also went on to miss the New Year's Day church service but Princess Anne, Princess Royal and the queen’s daughter, said the monarch was feeling “better,” BBC reported.