Queen Elizabeth Rearranges Schedule Again, Postpones Diplomatic Reception

Queen Elizabeth II has decided to push back a scheduled diplomatic reception amid the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement Saturday that the 95-year-old monarch — who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month — agreed to delay the diplomatic reception that was set to be held at Windsor Castle Wednesday on the advice of British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

"The Queen has accepted the foreign secretary's advice that the diplomatic reception at Windsor on March 2 should be postponed," the palace said in a statement to Sky News and other outlets.

The Queen and other members of the royal family were set to host 500 members of the diplomatic corps for the annual meeting.

The postponement was said to be due to the conflict in Ukraine rather than the Queen's COVID-19 battle, according to Sky News.

The palace announced Queen Elizabeth's diagnosis on Feb. 20, saying in a statement that the sovereign was experiencing "mild cold-like symptoms" but was expecting to continue light duties at Windsor Castle in the coming days.

"She will continue to receive medical attention and will follow all the appropriate guidelines," the palace said.

Three days later, the monarch attended her weekly conversation with U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson virtually. The conversation normally would have been held in person.

However, Queen Elizabeth later canceled two virtual appearances to focus on her health.

"The two virtual audiences that had previously been scheduled to take place today will now be rescheduled for a later date. Her Majesty is continuing with light duties. No other engagements are scheduled for this week," a palace spokesperson said last week in a statement obtained by the BBC.

Part of the Queen's tasks included keeping up with her red boxes, which contain government advisories and parliamentary papers at her desk, Entertainment Tonight reported.

An unnamed source told Us Weekly that Queen Elizabeth has been handling her illness "without any fuss or need to involve too many others in her recovery."

The Queen received her first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in January 2021. While the palace declined to confirm if she received her second dose and booster shot, she is believed to have had all her follow-up jabs after the first one.

The Queen's diagnosis came days after her son Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall tested positive for the virus.

Amid her COVID-19 battle, Queen Elizabeth also became the victim of a death hoax after the Hollywood Unlocked blog claimed in a since-deleted report that the monarch died Tuesday.

The outlet has since deleted the original report, and its founder Jason Lee issued an apology.

"Although I've never been wrong when breaking a story, because this involves The Queen, this is one time I would want to be," Lee wrote Thursday afternoon. "And based on Wednesday's report from the Palace, I can say my sources got this wrong and I sincerely apologize to The Queen and the Royal Family."