Queen Elizabeth spends night at hospital
· Deutsche WelleThe 95-year-old monarch spent a night in hospital after receiving medical advice to rest. She will celebrate 70 years on the throne next year.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II spent the night in hospital for the first time in years after being advised to rest and cancel her visit to Northern Ireland this week, the Buckingham Palace said Thursday.
"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," the palace said in a statement.
Elizabeth had been due to attend an ecumenical service in the border town of Armagh on Thursday to mark the 100th centenary of the creation of Northern Ireland.
What do we know about the hospitalization?
On Wednesday morning, she "reluctantly accepted medical advice" to get some rest, the palace said.
She stayed at the private King Edward VII's Hospital in central London.
The overnight stay was for "practical reasons," they said without elaborating on the nature of tests carried out.
Her ailment was not related to COVID-19, the palace said. The 95-year-old monarch has been vaccinated against the coronavirus.
She was back at her desk on Thursday afternoon and has been undertaking light duties, the palace said.
The UK's Press Association news agency said the hospital visit on Wednesday was unannounced as it was expected to be short stay.
1. She celebrates two birthdays
Queen Elizabeth II was born on April 21, 1926, but official celebrations don't take place until the second Saturday of June — a tradition that was started in 1748 by King George II. He was born in November and because the weather wasn't good for public celebrations, decided to have a second birthday at a better time of the year. COVID halted last year's celebrations.
2. She never went to school
This might sound attractive to kids who'd rather stay at home to play all day... But the Queen did have private tutors who taught her constitutional history, law and French. Nevertheless, she has often said she missed having a formal education.
3. She was related to her late husband
The late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, as both were the great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria. Elizabeth reportedly fell for the prince when she was just 13 and the two eventually married in November, 1947. The queen famously used ration coupons she had saved up after the Second World War to buy the material for her wedding dress.
4. She had her personal fashion designer
Norman Hartnell (1901-1979) became the royal family's assigned designer after a series of commissions for the royal family. He famously crafted Princess Elizabeth's wedding gown and her outfit for the coronation. According to Vogue UK, Hartnell created nine versions of the dress and the Queen ultimately settled for one that featured floral emblems for every country in the British dominion.
5. One of the jewels in the crown is a diamond from India
The "Koh-i-noor" diamond, which means "light of the world" in Persian, is an emotional issue for many Indians, who claim the diamond was stolen by British colonialists from the ruler of Punjab. The 108-carat diamond forms a part of Queen Elizabeth II's crown and is on display at the Tower of London.
6. She is the longest-reigning monarch
Elizabeth became Queen on February 6, 1952 after the death of her father, King George VI. She has reigned for 69 years, longer than her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who served as monarch for 63 years, from 1837-1901.
7. She doesn't need a passport or driver's license
"As a British passport is issued in the name of Her Majesty, it is unnecessary for The Queen to possess one," according to the official website of the British royal family. However, all other members, including the late Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales, have passports. She is also the only person in the UK to not require a driver's license.
8. She adores corgis
Every dog has its day, but the royal pets certainly have better days than their common counterparts. The Queen's love affair with corgis began in the 1930s, when her father got one called Dookie. But Elizabeth's favorite was Susan, who she could hardly bear to part with and whose offspring were responsible for the royal household's eight decades of happy corgi ownership.
9. She has been portrayed in over 200 films and TV series
According to movie ranking website IMDb, Queen Elizabeth II has been a protagonist in over 225 documentary and fictional films and television series. She also won a BAFTA award in 2013 "in recognition of her outstanding patronage of the film and television industries." Pictured above is a still from the Netflix show "The Crown" featuring British actress Claire Foy as the monarch.
10. She is not the richest person in Britain
The queen's net worth, estimated by Forbes magazine at 350 million pounds (€403 million, $482 million), comes from her investments, jewels and two castles. But as far as royals go, the monarch's fortune seems modest in comparison to the Duke of Westminster's: Earl Grosvenor is worth around 10 billion pounds. Elizabeth II ranks 372th in the Sunday Times' list of the 1,000 richest people in the UK.
Author: Manasi Gopalakrishnan
Past hospitalizations
The last time Elizabeth spent a night in hospital is believed to have been in 2013 when she was suffering from symptoms of gastroenteritis.
She had a successful surgery to treat an eye cataract in 2018, and also had a knee operation in 2003.
However, royal officials are hesitant to share health issues, saying medical matters are private.
Her late husband, Prince Philip, spent four weeks at the same hospital in February this year for treatment for a pre-existing heart condition.
Philip, who was married to the queen for 73 years, died in April just weeks before his 100th birthday.
Elizabeth is the world's oldest and longest-reigning monarch. She took to the throne in 1952 and will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee — 70 years of her rule — next year.
Next month, she is scheduled to join other senior royals, including her son and heir, Prince Charles, for a series of events linked to the UN climate summit in Glasglow.
adi/aw (AFP, Reuters)