Britain"s Queen Elizabeth misses church on Christmas Day for the first time in decades due to a heavy cold,

Top 5 Strange Facts About Queen Elizabeth II

Last updated10:12, December 26 2016

Britain"s queen elizabeth misses church on christmas day for the first time in decades due to a heavy cold,

A bad cold kept Queen Elizabeth II from attending the traditional Christmas morning church service near her Sandringham estate in rural Norfolk, England, raising some concerns about her health.

It"s extremely rare for Elizabeth, 90, to miss the service, which is a cornerstone of the royal family"s Christmas celebrations and brings the monarch into contact with locals who gather outside for a glimpse of her.

"The Queen continues to recover from a heavy cold and will stay indoors to assist with her recovery," Buckingham Palace said. "Her Majesty will participate in the royal family Christmas celebrations during the day."

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The young royals head to church.

Those festivities included a gala lunch. In past years, theBritishroyal family would often go for extended walks in the countryside.

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Elizabeth has been in generally good health and has maintained an active schedule in the last year despite travelling less often than in the past. Recently she stepped down as patron for about 20 charities and groups to lighten her work load.

The Royal family have attended a Christmas church service without the Queen, who is recovering from a "heavy cold" .

Her husband, 95-year-old Prince Philip, has also cut back on his public schedule and his charitable works in the last few years. He was also suffering from a severe cold earlier in the week, the palace said.

Philip did attend the Sunday morning Christmas service, waving to well-wishers on his way out of the church in a car.

With the Queen stuck at home with a heavy cold, forcing her to skipa traditional Christmas morning church service, the younger members of the royal family stole the show with Prince George and Princess Charlotte sucking on candy canes as they left a church.

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Prince George sucks a candy cane as he leaves church.

This year, Prince William also broke with tradition spendingChristmas with his in-laws.

He and wife Catherine took kids George, 3, and Charlotte,1,to the Duchess of Cambridge"s home village, Bucklebury.

The littlest royals attended theirfirst Christmas communion service, at a 12th-century church in Englefield,near the Middleton family home, the Daily Mailreported.

Catherine"s parents, Carol and Michael Middleton, brother James, and sister Pippa also attended.

Pippa Middleton was expected to marry fianceJames Matthews at thesame church in May.

Prince Harry attended the royals" regular church service near the Queen"s home in Sandringham, alongside his grandfather, Prince Philip.

The 95-year-oldwas also suffering from a heavy cold earlier in the week, the palace said.

As a concession to age and his cold, he drove to the church instead of walking.

Prince Harry spent time talking to local residents after the service and stopped to pat a dog.

Elizabeth has been in generally good health and has maintained an active schedule in the last year despitetravellingless often than in the past.

Philiphas also cut back his public schedule and his charitable works.

There were no signs of other family members being ill. The flu season has hit many Britons hard in the last two weeks and colds and flus are spreading. A cold can be dangerous for people in their 90s, doctors warn.

Earlier this week, the royal couple delayed their departure from London to Sandringham because of their colds buttravelledone day later than expected, using a helicopter instead of a train.

The royal family received some sad news Saturday, when it was revealed that the queen"s granddaughter, Zara Tindall, had suffered a miscarriage while expecting her second child with husband Mike Tindall.

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Princess Charlotte holds a candy cane as she leaves church with mum, the Duchess of Cambridge.

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Prince George holds his dad"s hand as they leave church.

PHIL NOBLE/REUTERS

Britain"s Prince Philip with Sophie, Countess of Wessex, after the Sandringham service.

-AP

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/87945395/queen-elizabeth-ii-to-miss-christmas-church-service-due-to-heavy-cold