Queen seems chatty at largest reception since health scare

Author: Associated Press
Published:
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, left, talks to members of the West Norfolk Befriending Society during a reception to celebrate the start of the Platinum Jubilee, at Sandringham House, her Norfolk residence, in Sandringham, England, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. The Queen has hosted a reception for members of the local community and volunteer groups at Sandringham House on the eve of Accession Day, the seventieth anniversary of her reign. (Joe Giddens/Pool Photo via AP)

Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday attended her largest public engagement since a recent health scare, mingling with guests at a reception ahead of the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.

The monarch met with members of the local community during a tea at Sandringham, her country estate in eastern England where she normally spends the anniversary. The 95-year-old queen leaned on a walking stick as she chatted with guests.

The guests included former cookery school student Angela Wood who helped perfect the recipe for coronation chicken, a dish created for the queen’s coronation in 1953. The queen had been on the throne for more than a year when the formal coronation ceremony took place.

Despite recent concerns about her health, Elizabeth moved freely and appeared to use her stick more to lean on when she stopped moving rather than depending on it as she walked around the room.

The monarch’s health has been a concern since she cancelled a two-day trip to Northern Ireland in October and was quietly admitted to a hospital overnight for preliminary tests. Doctors advised her to rest and restrict herself to light duties.

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