Queen Elizabeth spends night in hospital, cancels Northern Island visit: Buckingham Palace

Queen Elizabeth's hospital visit was not supposed to be disclosed to protect her privacy but was announced by the Buckingham Palace after she had to spend a night there.

London: Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday spent the night in a hospital following the advise of her doctors, confirmed the Buckingham Palace on Friday. It also announced that the Queen has called off her visit to Northern Ireland this week.

In an official statement, the Palace said, "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 (Thursday), and remains in good spirits."

According to reports, the hospital visit  was unscheduled and expected to be short and was not to be disclosed to protect the privacy of the Queen.

But the overnight stay was for "practical reasons", said AFP, without disclosing the hospital concerned or the nature of the tests.

The Queen, who is Britain's longest-serving monarch, having been on the throne since 1952, was said to be back at her desk on Thursday afternoon, undertaking light duties.

The decision to get admitted to the hospital was not related to the coronavirus and she was said to have been resting at her Windsor Castle residence, west of London.

The Queen has had a busy schedule since returning from her remote Balmoral estate in northeast Scotland at the start of October.

On Tuesday, she had appeared cheerful as she hosted a reception at Windsor for international business leaders attending a government investment summit.

She had also held two audiences with overseas ambassadors via videolink.

Last week, she was seen for the time at a major public event using a walking stick, but royal officials said it was not linked to any specific health condition.