Daniela Elser: Queen's absence at Remembrance Day ceremony sparks fresh health concerns

Queen Elizabeth II attends the annual Remembrance Sunday memorial at The Cenotaph on November 10, 2019 in London, England. Photo / Getty Images

OPINION:

For 364 days a year, the building at 22 Whitehall in London, which happens to be the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, is just another one of the city's examples of grand Italianate architecture. Another commanding bit of 19th century design in a capital positively stuffed with imposing Victorian edifices.

But, for one Sunday every November, the world's eyes turn to this particular building's balconies, because it is there that the Queen now usually observes the sombre ceremony at the nearby Cenotaph to commemorate those who have served in the armed forces.

And this year? And said monarch? For the first time in her royal career (when she was in the country and not pregnant) she was not on the balcony for Remembrance Sunday, triggering fresh concerns about her health.

The reason for her no-show, a noteworthy rarity in a nearly 70-year reign, was due to a sprained back according to Buckingham Palace. While last week aides had let it be known it was her "firm intention" to appear at the commemoration, less than two hours before she was due to arrive on Sunday morning, it was announced that the 95-year-old was pulling out "with great regret".

Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to the National Institute of Agricultural Botany on July 09, 2019, in Cambridge, England. Photo / Getty Images

While Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge notably stepped into the Queen's literal spot and took the primo balcony position for the ceremony (sorry Camilla), the actual sovereign's absence was the fourth such significant event she has cancelled since her current health crisis began, including a two-day tour of Northern Ireland, the Cop26 climate conference, the Festival of Remembrance and this week's Church of England General Synod.

The obvious, glaring question: Is it time to start getting out our black armbands? Should we be preparing to pour our gin martinis to honour the seemingly indefatigable regal workhorse?

The good news is, not yet – but a new hypothesis has emerged over the last 24 hours about what is really ailing Her Majesty and going on behind the scenes.

What is ailing the Queen?

While palace sources were reportedly quick to argue that her sprained back was not connected to her doctors' urging for her to rest or her still-mysterious hospitalisation last month, Camilla Tominey, writing in The Telegraph, has reported that this development "lends more weight to the theory that the Queen's health issues are largely mobility related".

"It is no secret in royal circles that the Queen has not been as mobile as she used to be, suffering particularly from knee and hip pain."

Likewise, The Times' Valentine Low has reported: "It is understood that there was concern about the Queen, 95, having to stand on the Foreign Office balcony for up to half an hour, as well as having to endure the car journey from Windsor and back again."

Likewise, in September it was revealed that she had temporarily given up riding her beloved gee-gees after experiencing "quite a bit of discomfort" over her summer holiday but that she was intent on getting back into the saddle soon.

Adding further weight to this argument is the fact that in October, the Queen was seen using a walking stick for the first time in 17 years. (And back then, it had only been because she had undergone knee surgery.) Eagle-eyed watchers were quick to spy, when she attended a service at Westminster Abbey with her daughter Princess Anne and said stick, that the particular one in question appeared visibly used, suggesting she might have been using it in private for a while.

Queen Elizabeth II attends the annual Remembrance Sunday memorial at The Cenotaph on November 10, 2019 in London, England. Photo / Getty Images

So, would it really shock anyone to learn that a woman just shy of her centenary was not as physically spry as she once was?

Exactly.

However, that does not mean we should all be breathing big sighs of relief just yet.

Concerns increase over monarch's health

The Daily Beast's Tom Sykes has reported "concerns for the Queen … have been building in royal circles ever since the death of her husband in April".

Meanwhile, a source close to the Queen told the Times in October simply: "She is knackered."

It was only four days after Prince Philip's funeral earlier this year that Her Majesty was back at the regal tiller, hosting a ceremony for the retirement of her Lord Chamberlain. (By contrast, after Queen Victoria's adored husband Prince Albert died, she retreated to Balmoral and it was a decade before she truly went back to public life.)

Since returning to work after her summer break, she undertook eight engagements in less than two weeks, including travelling to Wales and Scotland, before doctors ordered her to slow down.

"Sick leave" is not really something that has ever really entered the monarchical vernacular before. But, one way to make sense of this sudden, particularly cautious palace approach to the Queen's health is to take a peek at what is just over the horizon: Her Platinum Jubilee year.

All eyes on Jubilee year

On February 6, it will be exactly 70 years since she was given the devastating news that her father King George VI had suddenly died and that she, decades earlier than expected, had acceded to the throne.

Numerous events are already planned throughout the year to mark the historic occasion (she's the first British monarch to have ever notched up such a lengthy reign) and across the UK, culminating in a multi-day celebration in June which will include a 5000-participant strong pageant. (Just to sweeten the deal, Brits will get a four-day public holiday to boot.)

For Buckingham Palace, the Jubilee is not just another chance to remind the people about all that lovely jubbly pomp and ceremony that goes along with a hereditary monarchy but that it will serve as something of a palate cleanser – at least in theory.

The last few years of the house of Windsor have been marked (and marred) by Prince Andrew's ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and more recently, his being sued in a New York court for allegedly raping a teenager sex trafficking victim on three occasions. (Andrew has reportedly and strenuously denied the allegations.)

Then there is Megxit and the continued reverberations triggered by Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's explosive exit from HRH-dom.

These two situations have meant that, of late, the royal family has come to be defined by disturbing accusations of sexual abuse, institutional racism, and a particular sort of callous disregard for serious mental health issues.

Basically, a particularly sour and malodorous mess.

And this is where the Jubilee comes in. It's a chance to try to wash away the lingering bad taste in the public's mouth when it comes to the royal family. Courtiers need the Queen to be shipshape and ready for action (by which I mean, waving and occasionally smiling) in 2022 to lead this PR charge, to project family unity and continuity and to add some much needed dignity to proceedings.

I use the word 'try' here because no matter the palace's best laid plans, the chances of The Firm being able to once and for all move on from the Andrew and Sussex debacles in the coming months is precisely zero.

Key dates in Virginia Giuffre's lawsuit against Andrew, who she accused of having sexually assaulted her, are set down for May, June and July.

Then, at some point, thought to be in the second half of the year, Prince Harry will release his memoir which is all but guaranteed to rock the palace to its foundations and rattle the fillings of the remaining HRHs.

In short: There will be an even greater need for the Queen to be front and centre in the coming year to keep the royal brand from being submerged by the oncoming tide of negative press. Therefore, there is even more reason to keep her tucked away at Windsor right now to recuperate and to rebuild her strength ahead of what is already shaping up to be an arduous and turbulent year.

If all goes well, Her Majesty will be back in position for next year's Remembrance Sunday and Whitehall's most famous balcony will be back in the regal business. And if not? Batten down the hatches, chaps.

Daniela Elser is a royal expert and a writer with more than 15 years experience working with a number of Australia's leading media titles.