Queen Elizabeth II walks with a member of nursing staff as she leaves King Edward VII Hospital in London after being admitted suffering from gastroenteritis. Source: AFP
THE Queen will miss today's Commonwealth Day service in London as she is still recovering from the symptoms of gastroenteritis, Buckingham Palace said.
The 86-year-old was admitted to hospital for the first time in 10 years last week due to the illness. She was discharged last Monday after an overnight stay in a private London hospital.
The monarch, who is the head of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations, will not attend the service at Westminster Abbey, the palace said.
The Queen's 91-year-old husband Prince Philip will now be the only senior British royal at the service, which will be attended by Commonwealth ambassadors, or high commissioners, from around the world and will feature an address from Virgin tycoon Richard Branson.
The BBC, Britain's publicly-funded national broadcaster, reported that doctors had recommended it would be best for the queen not to sit through an hour-long church service.
The monarch will still attend an evening reception where she will sign the new Commonwealth charter, a document that includes commitments to gay rights among other issues, the palace said.
All of the Commonwealth nations adopted the charter in December. The 16-point charter aims to protect democracy, the rule of law, international security and free speech.
"We are implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds,'' the document reads
The Queen is head of state of 16 Commonwealth realms including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Her titles also include head of the Commonwealth, which mainly groups territories of the former British empire.
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