• Newsletters
  • Subscribe
Living

The Queen Will No Longer Travel To The Glasgow Climate Summit Next Week

'Her Majesty is disappointed not to attend the reception, but will deliver an address to the assembled delegates via a recorded video message.'
By Zach Harper, Hello!
Queen Elizabeth II attends a reception to mark the Global Investment Summit, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London on October 19, 2021. (Photo: Arthur Edwards / AFP via Getty Images) Queen Elizabeth II attends a reception to mark the Global Investment Summit, at Windsor Castle in Windsor, west of London on October 19, 2021. (Photo: Arthur Edwards / AFP via Getty Images)

The Queen will not attend COP26, the Glasgow climate summit, in person next week, Buckingham Palace says.

Her Majesty had been scheduled to attend the evening reception on Nov. 1, but following advice from her doctors to rest last week, she has decided not to travel to Scotland.

"Her Majesty is disappointed not to attend the reception, but will deliver an address to the assembled delegates via a recorded video message," the Palace said in a statement on Oct. 26.

The Queen had been scheduled to travel to Northern Ireland for a two-day visit on Oct. 20 and 21, but that visit was scuppered upon medical advice to rest, which she accepted "reluctantly," the Palace said at the time. It was later revealed she spent the evening of Oct. 20 in hospital, something she has not done since 2013 when she was admitted due to a nasty bout of gastroenteritis.

Advertisement

"Following medical advice to rest for a few days, The Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today, and remains in good spirits," Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Oct. 21.

The Queen's stay at London's King Edward VII Hospital was understood to have happened only for practical reasons, since it had been quite late in the day and she decided to remain there overnight. While she missed church at Windsor on Oct. 24, according to HELLO! UK, she was working at her desk upon her return to Windsor three days earlier, undertaking light duties.

On Oct. 26, Her Majesty held two virtual audiences at Windsor Castle, marking the first time she was seen since her hospital stay and her hosting of a reception for the Global Investment Summit on Oct. 19.

The 95-year-old appeared via computer screen on Oct. 26 as she met with South Korea's Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Gunn Kim, and held a separate meeting with Markus Leitner, Switzerland's U.K. ambassador, who was joined by his wife, Nicole Leitner.

Advertisement

We can still expect to see Prince Charles, Duchess Camilla, Prince William and Duchess Kate at the COP26 summit, which runs from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12.

The very best of Chatelaine straight to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Copy link
The cover of the Chatelaine Summer 2025 issue, featuring a pink drink with a paper straw.

Subscribe to Chatelaine!

In our Summer 2025 issue, we get real about what sex is like after 40. Plus, living together after divorce, our favourite beauty products of the year and 17 incredibly summery recipes, from ceviche to sour cherry cobbler.