No one wants to come out and say it, but all signs seem to point to one conclusion: Queen Elizabeth is pretty worn out. Palace officials have reportedly told the Daily Beast that the monarch's schedule is being emptied of events and obligations because her energy level isn't where it should be.
A source told the publication that despite the Queen insisting she do more, "It has been too much. There is very much a desire to get out there, to get back to normal, back to business."
Sources have also indicated that other members of the family will be expected to step up to take some of her workload, but others dispute the notion — for starters, Prince William and Kate Middleton reportedly jetted off over the weekend to an undisclosed location with their children, presumably for a family vacation.
The Queen also skipped church on October 24, 2021, an act that is so rare you have to go back to 2016 or 2017 to find the last time she did it. The Daily Mail also notes that the Queen will be performing only "light duties" this week.
Additionally, there are reports out that say the Queen doesn't want to be alone at all right now and in fact receives "a constant flow of lunches and dinners with family and friends, because the queen does not want to dine alone." She's also said to be spending her evenings with Mabel Anderson, who worked as a nanny to her children.
All of this comes after the Queen began using a walking stick in public for the first time, which many see as a sign that her health might not be what it once was. Of course, at 95 years old, Queen Elizabeth has generally displayed an abundance of energy for her age and can't be faulted for seeming to have slowed down after the death of her husband, Prince Philip.
The Queen will also reportedly attend events alongside one of her children or grandchildren to ensure that each event goes ahead as planned. Buckingham Palace officials have been accused of intentionally misleading the public about the state of the monarch's health, particularly after the attempted cover-up of her recent hospital stay.
