Queen Elizabeth

With "great reluctance," the Queen announced that she will not be attending the National Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral on Friday.

The Queen has been experiencing mobility issues in recent months and finds it difficult to stand for long periods. It was always the Queen's hope that she would attend rather than a firm commitment. A source tells PEOPLE that the Queen's episodic mobility issues flared during the course of the day on Thursday. She was pictured using her cane on the palace balcony as she took the salute and viewed the flypast alongside members of the royal family.

The palace said she had experienced “discomfort” at events on Thursday. Britain is marking the monarch's 70 years on the throne with four days of events.

"She's been my queen all my life and I think we owe her an awful lot for the service she's given to the country. So I wanted to come to show my support today and say thank you." Prince Charles played a key role during the event as he stood in for his mother. And 12 protesters were arrested Thursday after getting past barriers and onto the parade route. The queen, wearing a dusky dove blue dress designed by Angela Kelly, was joined on the balcony by more than a dozen royals — though not Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who gave up front-line royal duties two years ago. He was flanked by his sister, Princess Anne, and oldest son Prince William. Smiling, she chatted with her great-grandson Prince Louis, 4, who occasionally covered his ears as 70 military aircraft old and new swooped low over the palace to salute the queen. "I know that many happy memories will be created at these festive occasions," Elizabeth said. The decision also, handily, excluded Prince Andrew, who stepped away from public duties amid controversy over his links with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Yet after a lifetime of good health, age has begun to catch up with her. This country does like a good party. The six-minute display included a formation of Typhoon fighter jets flying in the shape of the number 70.

The Queen had been due to attend the service at St Paul's Cathedral on the second day of celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee.

It is expected she will spend time with Lilibet, the newest daughter of Harry and Meghan, who has not travelled to Britain with her parents since they quit their duties and moved to the United States two years ago. Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. However, he was set to join the wider royal family, including Prince Harry and wife Meghan at the high-profile St Paul’s service.

LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II stepped gingerly onto the Buckingham Palace balcony Thursday, drawing wild cheers from the tens of thousands who came to ...

So I wanted to come to show my support today and say thank you.” "She’s been my queen all my life and I think we owe her an awful lot for the service she’s given to the country. And 12 protesters were arrested Thursday after getting past barriers and onto the parade route. He was flanked by his sister, Princess Anne, and oldest son Prince William. The queen, wearing a dusky dove blue dress designed by Angela Kelly, was joined on the balcony by more than a dozen royals — though not Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who gave up front-line royal duties two years ago. “I know that many happy memories will be created at these festive occasions,” Elizabeth said. Smiling, she chatted with her great-grandson Prince Louis, 4, who occasionally covered his ears as 70 military aircraft old and new swooped low over the palace to salute the queen. The decision also, handily, excluded Prince Andrew, who stepped away from public duties amid controversy over his links with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This country does like a good party. Yet after a lifetime of good health, age has begun to catch up with her. The six-minute display included a formation of Typhoon fighter jets flying in the shape of the number 70. Many people have taken advantage of the long weekend to go on vacation.

Queen Elizabeth will not be attending a thanksgiving service on Friday, one of the major events of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, after experiencing ...

“Your life has been a gift, not just for the United Kingdom, but for the world. We were here for the 25th and then the 50th (jubilee). But this was the best one,” said nurse Ian Higgins, 62, in London. Several were arrested. Prince Andrew denied the accusation. Fifteen Typhoon jets flew overhead in formation, spelling out the number 70. Opinion polls show she remains hugely popular and respected among British people.

In a disappointing turn, the queen will miss the service at St. Paul's Cathedral on Friday due to "discomfort" after the Trooping parade.

"Taking into account the journey and activity required to participate in tomorrow’s National Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Her Majesty with great reluctance has concluded that she will not attend." Given the religious and family-oriented aspects of the service, it was considered one of her must-do events during the four-day jubilee holiday this weekend. The queen was expected to put the Service of Remembrance at the top of her jubilee weekend to-do list, in part because she's devout and in part because it's a gathering of her entire family, not just the "working" senior royals. She also tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this year. The palace announcement said the queen "greatly enjoyed" Thursday's Trooping the Colour parade that kicked off the four-day holiday celebrating her Platinum Jubilee marking her 70 years on the throne. Though Queen Elizabeth II had a great time at the Trooping the Colour parade kicking off her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in London Thursday, "discomfort" she's experiencing will nix her much-anticipated attendance at church on Friday, Buckingham Palace said.