Queen Elizabeth Pulls Out Of Friday's Thanksgiving Service At St Paul's Cathedral Due To Discomfort

Queen Elizabeth has pulled out of Friday's Platinum Jubilee thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral due to "discomfort," Buckingham Palace officially confirmed on Thursday.

In a statement the Palace said, "The Queen greatly enjoyed today's Birthday Parade and Flypast but did experience some discomfort." A spokesperson added, "Taking into account the journey and activity required 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. The Queen is looking forward to participating in tonight's Beacon lighting event at Windsor Castle and would like to thank all those who made today such a memorable occasion."

The 96-year-old British monarch has been known to have mobility issues. Due to health concerns, she has been canceling some of her meetings and engagements during the past months. The Queen's most recent absence was during the State Opening of Parliament; she assigned Prince Charles and Prince William to stand in on her behalf. The Queen, who was often seen using Prince Philip's walking stick, was said to suffer an "episodic" mobility issue. Still, royal aides insisted the Queen is in good spirits and very much involved in the preparation of the event.

The Platinum Jubilee celebration began with a military spectacle of more than 1,200 officers and soldiers plus 240 horses from the Household Division, all on a display of pageantry. A group of musicians also participated in the four-day celebrations.

The Queen, wearing Guards brooch and a blue Angela Kelly outfit used in her official Platinum Jubilee portrait, was joined together by other members of the Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony during Trooping the Colour marking the start of Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Queen used a brand new cane with a marble handle and wooden body made by Cumbria-based traditional stick maker Dennis Wall.

The Queen returned to the balcony at Buckingham Palace, following the Trooping the Colour, around half an hour later to watch the RAF flypast featuring the Red Arrows and senior royals, including Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton and their children. Meanwhile, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not make an appearance on the balcony. They were seen together with some of their relatives as the couple continued to keep a low profile inside a room of the Major General's Office at the other end of The Mall on Horse Guards Parade.