LONDON ā Queen Elizabeth II attended the Royal Windsor Horse Show on Friday, watching her beloved equines from the comfort of a Range Rover before walking to her box in her first public appearance in person in weeks.
The monarch sat in the front passenger seat and spoke to a small group through the window after pulling up to the parade ground near Windsor Castle, where she has spent much of the past two years. The queen seemed relaxed and smiled while dozens of photographers a few feet away tried to capture the moment.
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The queenās public appearances are being closely watched as Britain prepares to celebrate the monarchās 70 years on the throne with four days of festivities June 2-5.
Elizabeth, 96, has curtailed her schedule in recent months as she recovered from COVID-19 and coped with unspecified difficulties in moving around.
On Tuesday, she asked Prince Charles to preside over the state opening of Parliament and deliver the Queenās Speech, which lays out the governmentās legislative program. The event is one of the queenās most important public appearances, highlighting her constitutional role as head of state.
Buckingham Palace didnāt elaborate on what prompted the queen to delegate her role to Prince Charles, but she has experienced what the palace calls āepisodic mobility problemsā³ in recent months. Elizabeth has used a cane during some recent public appearances, and Prince Andrew escorted the queen into Westminster Abbey during last monthās memorial service for her late husband, Prince Philip.