Queen Elizabeth still has cold-like COVID symptoms, postpones two virtual audiences: palace

Queen Elizabeth II postponed two virtual audiences as she continued to experience cold-like symptoms from COVID-19, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday.

It was the second time this week that the British monarch had canceled virtual sessions. However, the 95-year-old spoke to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson by phone on Wednesday, sparking an encouraging sign of her recovery.

The monarch’s age, COVID-19 diagnosis, and a health scare last year have caused worry among officials and the public. Her positive test for the coronavirus over the weekend prompted concern and get-well wishes from across Britain’s political spectrum.

On Sunday, the palace said that Elizabeth, who has been fully vaccinated and had a booster shot, would continue with "light" duties at Windsor Castle.

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The queen, who is the country’s longest-reigning monarch, has a series of engagements coming up as she celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne. She is scheduled to host a March 2 reception which would involve meeting hundreds of diplomats at Windsor.

She is also due to attend the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14, and then a March 26 memorial service, also at the Abbey, for her late husband, Prince Philip, who died last April at age 99.

Public celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee are scheduled over a long weekend between June 2-5, with festivities including a military parade, a day of horse racing and neighborhood parties.

Both the queen’s eldest son Prince Charles, 73, and her 74-year-old daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall contracted COVID-19 earlier this month. Charles has since returned to work. There are also thought to be several recent virus cases among staff at Windsor Castle, where the queen is staying.

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Elizabeth has been in robust health for most of her reign and has been photographed riding a horse as recently as 2020. In the past year, she has been seen using a walking stick, and in October she spent a night in a London hospital for unspecified tests.

The queen’s doctors ordered her to rest after that, and she was forced to cancel appearances at several key events, including Remembrance Sunday services and the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland in November.

This month she returned to public duties and has held audiences both virtually and in-person with diplomats, politicians and senior military officers. During one exchange caught on camera last week, she walked slowly with a stick and said "as you can see I can’t move" in an apparent reference to her leg.

The queen delivered two televised messages to the nation early in the pandemic in 2020 and has sought to lead by example. She let it be known she had been vaccinated, and last year sat alone during the funeral of her husband of 72 years, because of coronavirus restrictions.

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Elizabeth's diagnosis came during a difficult time for the royal family.

The queen's second son, Prince Andrew, recently settled a U.S. lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed he had sexually abused her when she was 17 and traveling with the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The 61-year-old strenuously denied the claim by Virginia Giuffre. He agreed in a settlement to make a substantial donation to his accuser’s charity.

Soon after, London’s Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into allegations that people associated with one of Charles’ charities offered to help a Saudi billionaire secure honors and citizenship in return for donations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.