LONDON, June 27, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Queen Elizabeth II travelled to Scotland on
Monday for a week of royal events and took part in a ceremony in Edinburgh,
despite question marks over her attendance.
It was the first public appearance for the 96-year-old monarch, who has been
dogged by ill health, since her Platinum Jubilee celebrations ended on June
5.
She had previously held audiences at Windsor Castle with foreign diplomats
and the Archbishop of Canterbury but had not been certain to travel to
Edinburgh.
She took part in the Ceremony of the Keys, which sees her handed the keys of
the city and welcomed to her "ancient and hereditary kingdom" of Scotland.
Other members of the royal family attending the event at the Palace of
Holyroodhouse included her youngest son, Edward, and his wife Sophie.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex are known as the Earl and Countess of Forfar
in Scotland.
The queen's heir, Prince Charles -- called the Earl of Rothesay in Scotland -
- and her only daughter, Princess Anne, are also in Scotland this week.
The monarch's disgraced second son, Prince Andrew -- the Earl of Inverness
north of the border -- is not involved.
He has been frozen out of royal duties due to public outrage at his links to
the convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and after
he settled a US civil claim for sexual assault.
In May, royal officials said the queen would not attend this summer's royal
garden parties at Buckingham Palace and at Holyrood.
She spent an unscheduled night in hospital last October, forcing her to
cancel a series of public engagements.
She has since complained of difficulties walking and standing, and has
increasingly been seen using a stick for support.