Queen Elizabeth II spent the night in hospital after cancelling her trip to Northern Ireland on medical grounds, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Thursday.

The 95-year-old was due to arrive in Belfast for a series of community engagements but was advised to rest. This would have been her first trip to Northern Ireland in five years.

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The monarch attended hospital on Wednesday for some tests and returned to Windsor Castle on Thursday afternoon. 

“Following medical advice to rest for a few days, the Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today (Thursday) and remains in good spirits,” the palace said.

The 95-year-old was set to join a church service in St Patrick’s Church, Armagh, to commemorate the 100 years of the foundation of Northern Ireland.

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In a statement, the palace had said, The Queen was “in good spirits and is disappointed that she will no longer be able to visit Northern Ireland, where she had been due to undertake a series of engagements” the next two days to mark the centenary of the creation of Northern Ireland.

“The Queen sends her warmest good wishes to the people of Northern Ireland, and looks forward to visiting in the future,” the palace statement added.

Last week, the monarch was pictured on two occasions using a walk stick in the last week.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said, “The Queen has reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days.”

The Queen is Britain’s longest-serving monarch. She succeeded her father, King George VI, in 1952. Next year, she will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee to mark 70 years on the throne. Her husband, Prince Philip, died in April this year at the age of 99. 

On Tuesday, she hosted a reception at Windsor for international business leaders such as billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates, and senior British ministers, for a government investment summit.