Buckingham Palace has announced that the Queen will not attend the Epsom Derby on Saturday.
According to the palace, she will instead watch the highlight horse racing event, which is part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, on TV at Windsor Castle.
The Queen had only missed Derby Day twice during her reign prior to the pandemic.
The 96-year-old had previously withdrawn from Friday’s Jubilee thanksgiving service due to “discomfort” during Thursday’s events.
The Queen has previously stated that she has mobility issues, and the palace confirmed ahead of the Jubilee that the monarch would consider which events she could attend during the four-day celebration.
The Princess Royal is expected to represent the Queen at the Derby on Saturday.
Earlier, at a packed thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral, the Queen’s love of horse racing was mentioned.
Even though she was unable to attend, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell praised her for “staying the course” and saying she was “still in the saddle.”