LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II spent the night in a hospital last week and was ordered to rest by doctors — and six days later, she is back at work, albeit virtually.
The virtual appearance eased some fears in Britain after Buckingham Palace announced that the 95-year-old monarch had attended hospital for “preliminary investigations” before returning to Windsor Castle.
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The tests marked her first overnight stay in a hospital in eight years, generating widespread concern. On Google, “how is the queen” was a trending search term in Britain.
On Tuesday, the monarch held two virtual audiences from Windsor Castle, one with the incoming Korean ambassador, Gunn Kim, and one with the Swiss ambassador, Markus Leitner.
Buckingham Palace said that during the meeting both officials presented the queen with their “credentials” — a letter from their respective head of state which serves as proof that the queen “can trust them to speak on behalf of their country.”
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“The Queen is back in action,” wrote ITV Royal Editor Chris Ship.
Photos taken of the virtual meeting showed the monarch smiling as she sat facing the screen in a lemon-colored ensemble and three-layered pearl necklace.
Doctors directed the queen to rest as she canceled her trip to Northern Ireland last week.
“Good to see the Queen is all smiles back at work," tweeted Roya Nikkhah, Royal Editor at The Sunday Times, who shared several of the photos.
The Queen is expected to attend this months COP26 climate conference, although British media reported Tuesday that this may now be virtual given concerns for her health.
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