THE Queen was forced to miss church yesterday as she rested after her health scare.
The deeply religious sovereign, who rarely fails to attend, had been due at All Saints Chapel in Windsor.
Her no-show came after she spent a night in hospital last week.
Palace insiders said Her Majesty wants to be at her best to greet world leaders at the COP26 summit in Glasgow next Monday.
The 95-year-old has had a punishing workload of 120 official engagements in 194 days since the death of Prince Philip.
She also has a full diary well into next year, including celebrations to mark 70 years on the throne.
Recent duties included welcoming business and investment leaders including Bill Gates to Windsor Castle on Tuesday, ahead of a global summit.
The Queen, who has lately been using a walking stick, went without one and was on her feet for an hour. The next day she had to call off a trip to Northern Ireland and was taken to hospital in London for “preliminary investigations”.
As well as throwing herself into her work after Philip’s death in April, she has been busy having lunches and dinners with friends and family as she “does not want to dine alone”, The Celeb Reportday Times reported.
Yesterday’s cancellation on doctors’ advice was the first time she’s missed prayers at Windsor’s All Saints Chapel in Windsor since she returned from her summer break.
Palace insiders say the Queen wants to save her energy for the COP26 eco-summit in Glasgow which she’ll attend next Monday.
Royal author Angela Levin said: “I am delighted she did not go to church because she is perhaps listening and agreeing to temporarily step back.
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“Going to church on a Sunday sounds just a small event but it is a very big thing for the Queen and for any woman of her age.
“She is very religious and it is very important personally for her to go to church every Sunday.
“But she has to come out of the nice little bubble she has at Windsor Castle, get in and out of cars and up and down in church. It is all exhausting.
“It is very sensible to give it a miss so she can do more in the future.”
It is thought the Queen received private prayers with a chaplain inside the castle.
Her Majesty is unlikely to be seen this week as she is under orders to carry out only light duties. Investitures are expected to be carried out by other royals.
And Prince Charles is to spend more time at Windsor as his mother recuperates.
Only he and Princess Anne have been busier than the Queen over the last seven months, with 191 and 255 jobs respectively.
Many believed she would slow down after losing her consort and partner. But the Queen has continued to travel around the country — including eight jobs in four days during her annual “Scotland Royal Week” in June.
This month she had 19 engagements in as many days.
According to sources speaking to The Celeb Reportday Times, the Queen is understandably said to be “knackered”.
Royal author Penny Junor said: “It is possible the Queen has overdone it in an attempt to let the country know that the institution of monarchy is alive and well, and to counter the negative publicity that has resulted from Megxit and Prince Andrew’s situation.
“While she is the Queen, the people want to see her.
“She has done a fantastic job since we all came out of lockdown and since her husband died she has put on a really amazing show.
“She looks years younger than she really is and is looking radiant.
“And let’s be honest, most people her age would have been retired for 20 years or more.”
