Queen Elizabeth Did This In Public For The First Time Since The Pandemic
Queen Elizabeth has made no secret of her undying faith, per Write Royalty. The monarch has reportedly used religion as a way to cope with many of life's ups and downs. Over the past year, there have been many struggles for Elizabeth, 95, as she lost her longtime husband, Prince Philip, who died at the age of 99 back in April. The queen has also had to deal with some family scandals as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals, as well as reports of a rift in the family. Recently, Elizabeth's son, Prince Andrew, has also been making headlines after he was accused of sexual assault.
Royal expert Matthew Dennison tells Fox News that it's the queen's faith that helps her cope with anything life throws her way. "She has a strong religious faith," he said. "One of the things that the queen has done is pray throughout all of this. She also has a loyal, supportive group of private secretaries, ladies in waiting and devoted friends who have been a strong system around her. She also has the support of her close-knit family."
Queen Elizabeth attends first church service in over a year
"She has a connection with the divine," Matthew Dennison told Fox News of the queen. "She is a monarch who made a promise before God to fulfill her duty. And it's a promise she has taken very seriously in her life."
However, Elizabeth has been forced to do her worship at home since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, though, all of that changed.
The Daily Mail reports that Queen Elizabeth was spotted heading to a public church service for the first time since the COVID-19 lockdown. Elizabeth has reportedly been attending private services throughout the pandemic and has been staying mostly out of public settings for the past 18 months. However, she decided that it was time to return to church over the weekend as she was photographed wearing a mauve coat and hat as she sat in the back of a car and headed to services at the Royal Chapel of All Saints on the grounds of the Royal Lodge.
Things are slowly getting back to normal for Queen Elizabeth
Per the Daily Mail, the queen was last seen at the chapel in July 2020 when she and her late husband Prince Philip attended the wedding of their granddaughter Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, but it seems as if she may become a more frequent visitor now that the pandemic is coming under control.
The Telegraph notes that Elizabeth opted to take some time to head to church before kicking off a busy week. The monarch is set to attend a service of thanksgiving on Tuesday and on Thursday she'll join her son Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall for the opening ceremony for the sixth session of the Senedd in Cardiff. The queen's fall itinerary reveals that she'll begin to make more in-person appearances at events as she gears up for next year's Platinum Jubilee, per the official royal website.
Fans are happy to see Queen Elizabeth getting back into her usual routine after a tough year, and can't wait to celebrate 70 years of her reign in 2022.