COP26: Queen will not attend climate change conference in Glasgow

What’s happening? The 95-year-old monarch was due to travel to Scotland for the high-profile engagement on Monday November 1, and was due to stay in Edinburgh.

However, a Palace spokesman said: “Following advice to rest, The Queen has been undertaking light duties at Windsor Castle.

“Her Majesty has regretfully decided that she will no longer travel to Glasgow to attend the evening reception of Cop26 on Monday 1 November.

“Her Majesty is disappointed not to attend the reception but will deliver an address to the assembled delegates via a recorded video message.”

The news comes after the head of state had to cancel her two-day trip to Northern Ireland earlier this month under medical advice.

She faced preliminary tests in hospital on October 20 during her first overnight stay at a medical facility in eight years.

However, on Tuesday, the Queen returned to work by carrying out virtual audiences from Windsor Castle.

Earlier this month it was announced that the Pope, Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s President, Xi Jinping would also not be attending COP26,

What is COP26? The aim of the meeting is to speed up the process of reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change. It was originally due to take place last year, but was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A version of this article first appeared on our sister site, The Scotsman