The Queen has had to cancel her visit to Northern Ireland after doctors advised her to rest.

"The Queen has reluctantly accepted doctors' advice to rest for the next few days," a spokesman said (via The Guardian (opens in new tab)). The Queen is in good health and regrets that she will not be able to make her planned visit to Northern Ireland today and tomorrow."

This very vague statement makes it sound like the Queen is a bit under the weather (a possibility since there is a nasty cold going around the UK right now (opens in new tab)), but apparently she does not have COVID.

Given that, it seems that the Queen has not completely given up on catching up with Northern Ireland. A spokesman added: "The Queen sends her warmest good wishes to the people of Northern Ireland and looks forward to visiting in the future."

Although her grandson Prince William (opens in new tab) and his wife Kate Middleton (opens in new tab) visited the country just a few weeks ago (opens in new tab), the Queen has not returned to Northern Ireland since 2016, when she visited with her late husband Prince Philip (opens in new tab) She has not.

This comes after the Queen was advised by her doctor (opens in new tab) to refrain from drinking alcohol except on special occasions in preparation for her platinum jubilee next year; in June 2022, she will celebrate 70 years on the throne, clearly the longest reigning monarch in British history. Queen Victoria (open in new tab) is a surprisingly close second, clocking in at almost 64 years old, an incredible feat considering the average life expectancy in the 19th century.

In short, we hope to see Queen Elizabeth back on her feet soon.