The 96-year-old monarch was under medical supervision Balmoral in Scotland on Thursday while members of the royal family traveled to Scotland to be by her side and a nation held its breath that she will make a recovery.
Elizabeth’s health struggles began in October 2021 with an unspecified scare that forced her to cancel a planned visit to Northern Ireland.
The queen then canceled a further trip to Glasgow where she was due to take part in the COP26 climate change conference in November.
A sprained back prevented the queen from appearing at Britain’s remembrance events that month, a move she would not cancel lightly having lived through the Second World War.
However, she appeared to be in good health at Christmas, when she delivered one of her most emotional speeches ever, reminiscing about her late husband Prince Philip.
In February she tested positive for COVID-19 but recovered after experiencing mild flu-like symptoms.
But episodic mobility problems continued to dominate her year, forcing key events in her diary to fall to her son Prince Charles.
Most notably, Elizabeth was not able to attend the state opening of Parliament to read the Queen’s Speech in May 2022, and Charles was deputized to read the speech in her place.
The queen—who has appointed 15 British Prime Ministers during her lifetime—was instead symbolically represented by a crown, carried on a cushion, alongside the heir to the throne.
A Buckingham Palace statement at the time read: “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.
“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.”
At her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Elizabeth skipped a number of events, including a National Service of Thanksgiving held in her honor at St. Paul’s Cathedral, on June 3, 2022.
However, she made it to her Trooping the Colour birthday parade, taking a salute from the Buckingham Palace balcony instead of on the parade ground as tradition bent to her new health needs.
The queen lit a Platinum Jubilee beacon but could not attend the horse racing at Epsom Derby, despite her lifelong love of the sport.
However, she did make a second balcony appearance on Sunday, June 5, as her adoring public gathered in their thousands to celebrate the longest-serving monarch in British history.
As the summer wore on, Elizabeth undertook her annual trip to Scotland, where she stays at Balmoral Castle, an estate full of memories of her husband Prince Philip, who would famously man the barbecue during family breaks in the Scottish Highlands.
It is at Balmoral where the queen is now in comfort under medical supervision and with her family gathering to be by her side.
A Buckingham Palace statement read: “Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”
