Queen Elizabeth Missed Another High Profile Event Amid Health Woes

The Queen of England will miss out on another Royal event due to her health, as she will not be able to join her much-anticipated late summer trip to Scotland. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II did not attend Scotland's Braemar Highland Gathering over the weekend, a Buckingham Palace source said on Sept. 2.

On the first Saturday of September, the 96-year-old monarch usually travels to the event, which is located less than a mile from her Balmoral Castle residence. However, the source confirmed that she would not attend this weekend's festivities, NBC News reported. Prince Charles, 73, her son and heir, will be there as scheduled. According to royal sources, the decision was made to ensure the Queen's "comfort." Since last year, she has been experiencing episodic mobility issues, which have caused her to miss several important events.

The gathering, located around 90 miles north of Edinburgh, Scotland's capital, has been held annually by the reigning monarch and members of the royal family since 1848, its organizers said. Four years later, Prince Albert purchased Balmoral for Queen Victoria. When she is in Scotland during the summer, it is usually one of the few occasions when the Queen is seen in public. 

Queen Elizabeth is a patron of the Braemar Royal Highland Gathering, which features pipe bands, a tug-of-war, hill races, and other athletic competitions. She has attended every year since she ascended the throne in 1952, said, organizers. In 2020 and 2021, it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The monarch's public presence would require a lot of sitting, which could be a concern if she is unwell. During the Braemar Royal Highland Gathering on Saturday, Prince Charles will open the Queen Elizabeth Platinum Jubilee Archway. The commemorative installation honors the Queen's 70-year reign, celebrated this year.

Last week, a palace spokesperson said that the Queen would appoint Britain's new prime minister at Balmoral Castle in Scotland instead of Buckingham Palace in London due to mobility limitations. As head of state, she usually performs her most essential functions in London, but the palace announced she would hold audiences in Scotland instead.

The Queen hasn't been seen publicly since she arrived in Scotland in July. A short ceremony is traditionally held when she arrives at the Highlands estate, with soldiers from a Scottish regiment, military pipers, and supporters assembled at the gates. This year, she had a private arrival on the estate grounds.