The Queen is resting at Windsor Castle and is planning no major public engagements for the rest of 2021.

The 95-year-old will continue to carry out light engagements after missing the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph for just the fifth time in her reign.

The Queen is said to have suffered a sprained back and is planning to continue virtual audiences in a few days’ time.

The Queen has been on doctors’ orders to rest for nearly a month after being admitted to hospital for preliminary investigations – her first overnight stay in a medical facility in eight years – on October 20.

She has not been seen carrying out official public duties in person since hosting a reception at Windsor for global business leaders on October 19.

No public engagements are planned for the rest of the year with November and December often quieter months for the monarchy.

New phase of the Queen’s reign

Royal commentators speculated that the monarch is unlikely to be out and about in the coming months with virtual audiences set to mark a new phase of Her Majesty’s reign.

Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said: “In terms of official engagements before the end of the year, I don’t think we will see her out and about doing anything officially, even if she recovers from the sprained back.”

He added that there had been a “collective sigh of relief” when she was due to be at the Cenotaph, but the situation had “regressed”.

What does this mean for the Queen’s platinum Jubilee celebrations?

Aides will be conscious of plans for the Platinum Jubilee next year, with the monarch due to reach the milestone in February, ahead of a busy four-day bank holiday weekend of festivities in June.

Mr Little said the Platinum Jubilee would be different from the 2012 Diamond Jubilee in terms of what the Queen does.

“The Platinum Jubilee programme will reflect her age, although the Palace won’t say as much, and other people will be doing engagements on her behalf,” Mr Little said.

“We know she won’t go to the Commonwealth or do any tours, but how much she does in the UK will be interesting to see.”

This coming weekend marks a difficult milestone for the Queen.

Saturday would have been the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s 74th wedding anniversary – and it will be the first anniversary of their marriage to pass since Philip died in April at the age of 99.