Queen ditches walking stick after mobility issues for latest royal engagement

The Queen has appeared without her walking stick during her latest engagement, much to the relief of concerned royal fans. 

• The Queen has appeared without her walking stick during her latest royal engagement, just a few days after pulling out of Monday's Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. 
• Her Majesty stood unaided while she presented the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry to Grace Nichols at Windsor Castle on Wednesday. 
• In other royal news, the surprising reason William and Kate might not stay at Meghan and Harry's home on US trip revealed.
  

The Queen ditched her walking stick for her most recent engagement, sparking widespread relief in her concerned fans. 

Her Majesty held a private audience with Grace Nichols on Wednesday at Windsor Castle, where she will now permanently reside since leaving Buckingham Palace. Wearing a cream dress and pearls, the 95-year-old smiled widely as she presented the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry to the Guyanese writer. 

She also stood unaided for the meeting, suggesting she has made progress since admitting she couldn't move during a royal engagement last month. 

Fans were delighted to see the Queen up and about, with many taking to Twitter to share their reaction. 

"It’s nice to see she is very much alive and well," one person wrote. 

"Her Majesty The Queen has an amazing smile!" another fan commented. 

The audience, which took place in the Berkshire residence's Oak Room, comes a few days after it was confirmed that the Queen would miss Monday's Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. 

Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday that the monarch would not attend the annual event and had asked Prince Charles, one of her four counselors of state, to represent her. Details of her absence were not disclosed, but it was widely speculated that the cancellation was related to health issues. 

According to the Sun, concerns were raised that the Queen would find the hour-long service—much of which required standing—'too taxing' on her body. Her Majesty's mobility struggles have been well documented in recent months, with the royal matriarch using a walking stick for multiple public appearances over the past year. 

Fears for the Queen's health skyrocketed in February when it was confirmed she had Covid-19, just two weeks after she celebrated her Platinum Jubilee. The sovereign, who has been vaccinated and boosted, has fortunately recovered from the infection and is now continuing her schedule of light duties from Windsor Castle.