Queen Elizabeth Quips She 'Can't Move' as She Uses Cane in Latest Appearance

The monarch had an in-person meeting at Windsor Castle, her first since son Prince Charles tested positive for COVID-19

Queen Elizabeth II with Rear Admiral James Macleod and Major General Eldon Millar
Queen Elizabeth. Photo: Alamy Stock Photo

Queen Elizabeth was stationary but cheerful during her latest appearance.

The monarch, 95, met with outgoing Defence Services Secretary Rear Admiral James Macleod as well as Major General Eldon Millar, who is taking over the position, at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

In a video from the meeting, the Queen said, "I'm here!" with a smile as the men entered the room.

They paused by the entrance and asked the monarch how she was.

"Well, as you can see, I can't move," the Queen, who held a walking cane, said while gesturing down.

The men then walked forward to shake her hand, and she greeted them after shuffling forward.

"A palace source said the Queen had been feeling slightly stiff, rather than having injured herself or being unwell," according to Reuters.

Queen Elizabeth stepped out with a walking stick in October for a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, marking the first time she used a cane publicly since 2003 when she used a cane while she was recovering from knee surgery.

Since, she's used a cane on several occasions — including a reception at Sandringham House on the eve of her Accession Day, where she was aided by a walking stick that previously belonged to Prince Philip, who died last April at the age of 99.

After being hospitalized on Oct. 20 and told to rest by doctors, Queen Elizabeth previously canceled several engagements at the end of 2021, including a last-minute decision to not appear at a Remembrance Day event due to a sprained back.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II smiles during a reception in the Ballroom of Sandringham House, the Queen's Norfolk residence on February 5, 2022, as she celebrates the start of the Platinum Jubilee.
Queen Elizabeth. Joe Giddens/POOL/AFP via Getty

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Wednesday's in-person meeting marked the Queen's first appearance since her COVID scare last week. The monarch was being monitored last week after her son Prince Charles, 73, tested positive for COVID-19 just two days after meeting with her.

Days after Prince Charles (who first tested positive for the viral disease at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020) went into self-isolation, his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, 74, also tested positive for coronavirus.

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