keeping up with the royals

Queen Elizabeth II Appears in Public for the First Time in Almost a Month

Photo: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II was seen in public for the first time in almost a month when she attended church with her family Sunday. She’d been ill with a bad cold and even had to skip services on Christmas and New Year’s. The last time the queen had been seen in public since falling ill was on December 9. She joined Prince William; Princess Kate; Kate’s mom, Carole Middleton; Kate’s brother, James Middleton; and Kate’s sister, Pippa Middleton, at the St. Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham.

The queen was the victim of a cruel and distasteful hoax when an official-looking Twitter account tweeted on December 29 that she’d passed away. Princess Anne announced at a New Year’s Day service that the queen was “better” despite her illness.

Queen Elizabeth II Appears in Public for Church Service