Queen Elizabeth Reportedly Hospitalized Overnight — But Is In ‘Good Spirits’

TOPLINE Queen Elizabeth II was hospitalized overnight Wednesday and returned home a day later, Buckingham Palace told reporters Thursday, shortly after the 95-year-old British monarch’s medical team encouraged her to rest instead of taking a planned trip to Northern Ireland.

KEY FACTS

The Queen visited a hospital Wednesday for “preliminary investigations” and returned to Windsor Castle midday Thursday, Buckingham Palace told the BBC, CNN, the New York Times and several other news outlets in a statement.

The monarch “remains in good spirits,” the palace told reporters.

The disclosure comes after the Queen “reluctantly” called off a trip to Northern Ireland early Wednesday, a decision Buckingham Palace tied to “medical advice to rest for the next few days” — though the palace didn’t elaborate on her medical condition.

TANGENT

Queen Elizabeth is slated to attend the COP26 international climate change conference in Glasgow, which opens later this month. Last week, the queen was reportedly overheard complaining about world leaders who “talk” about climate change but “don’t do,” a phenomenon the monarch — who typically doesn’t weigh in on politics — called “irritating.”

KEY BACKGROUND

The queen is the longest-reigning monarch in U.K. history, holding the throne and serving as the country’s head of state since 1952. Her husband of 73 years — Prince Philip — died earlier this year, but she returned to official duties days later.