Queen to miss Braemar Gathering as thousands prepare for popular Highland Games

By Denny Andonova

September 2 2022, 11:45 am

Sir Angus Farquharson pictured with the Queen at the Braemar Highland Games in 2008.

The Queen will not attend the popular Braemar Gathering this weekend.

Hailed as one of the most iconic Highland Games in the UK, the event will return to the Cairngorms on Saturday after a two-year pause due to Covid.

The monarch, who is the patron of the Braemar Gathering, and members of the Royal Family have attended the spectacle regularly since it was first held in 1832.

A new structure – the Jubilee Arch – has also been erected at the entrance of the Braemar Gathering in recognition of the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

The Queen and Princess Anne receiving flowers at the 2018 Braemar Gathering. Photo: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson.

However, palace officials have now confirmed she will miss this year’s games. The Prince of Wales, who usually accompanies her, is scheduled to attend as normal.

It is understood the decision has been taken for the comfort of the head of state, who has been suffering from mobility problems since last year.

Queen with ongoing mobility issues

The 96-year-old monarch now regularly uses a walking stick, with some of her official engagements this year cut shorter in length than normally expected.

She thrilled crowds on the first day of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations on June 2 when she appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony and later at Windsor Castle.

But the next day she pulled out of the Platinum Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral after experiencing “discomfort” during the previous day’s celebrations.

The Queen did not hold her usual inspection of The Royal Regiment of Scotland at the gates of Balmoral this year – which is traditionally held to signal the start of her stay. Photo: Jane Barlow/PA Wire.

Concern for her health mounted when she pulled out of several key events – including the Cop26 summit and the Festival of Remembrance – with Buckingham Palace saying she had been advised to rest and not carry out any official visits.

In May 2022, the Queen also missed the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in nearly 60 years.

When she did not attend the annual Maundy Day church service for only the fifth time during her reign, a palace source said: “Mobility issues which emerge make it difficult for the Queen to predict in advance whether she can attend a particular event.

“If an event requires advance notice for the printing of orders of service and other material, such as Royal Maundy, that makes it much harder.”