Platinum Jubilee: Queen Elizabeth will skip church service after feeling 'discomfort'
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 02: Queen Elizabeth II smiles on the balcony during Trooping The Colour on June 02, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
LONDON - Queen Elizabeth II will not attend a church service to mark her Platinum Jubilee after experiencing "discomfort" at events on Thursday, Buckingham Palace says.
The palace says that with "great reluctance" the 96-year-old monarch has decided to skip Friday’s service at St. Paul’s Cathedral. The UK is celebrating the queen's Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne, from June 2-June 5.
The palace says "the queen greatly enjoyed today’s Birthday Parade and Flypast but did experience some discomfort."
Elizabeth, who became queen at 25, is Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and the first to reach the milestone of seven decades on the throne.
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The four days of pomp and circumstance surrounding the Jubilee began Thursday with Trooping the Color — a military parade that has marked each sovereign’s official birthday since 1760. The Jubilee celebrations will also include Friday's church service, The Derby at Epsom Downs, a Platinum Party featuring Sir Elton John and Rod Stewart, the Big Jubilee lunch events, and the grand finale: the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.