Queen Elizabeth sparked rumors that she was already ailing long before she passed away. The speculations became rifer in 2019 when she attended the State Opening of Parliament.
Queen Elizabeth Did Not Wear The Imperial State Crown In 2019
In the years prior, Queen Elizabeth attended the important event wearing the Imperial State Crown. The headpiece reportedly weighs over 3 pounds and is adorned with 2,868 diamonds, 269 pearls, 11 emeralds, and 17 sapphires, according to Radar Online.
But three years ago, Her Majesty attended the State Opening of Parliament with a much lighter version of the crown. And the Imperial State Crown was placed right beside her.
According to the publication, royal fans at the time already speculated about the queen's health because they assumed that she was too weak to wear the heavy crown on her head.
"It was a shock, to say the least. The State Opening of Parliament is a sacred ceremony and wearing the crown is part of it. People were whispering under their breath," the source said.
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Queen Elizabeth Sparked Fears She Was Ailing After She Refused To Wear The Imperial State Crown
An unnamed royal courtier also claimed that the queen's failure to wear the crown at the time stirred up fears that she didn't have long to live and that King Charles would soon take over.
"Her failure to wear the crown is stirring up fears that she hasn't got long to live. Charles says his regency is temporary, he really has no plans on giving up the throne," the source said.
Last year, the queen once again opted not to wear the Imperial State Crown. Instead, she wore a lilac hat and paired it with a matching coat amid the government's decision to reduce the ceremony due to the pandemic.
In the past, Her Majesty admitted that the Imperial State Crown could be too heavy to bear.
"You can't look down to read the speech, you have to take the speech up because if you did, your neck would break, it would fall off. So, there are some disadvantages to crowns, but otherwise, they're quite important things," she said.
Queen Elizabeth Must Have Opted For A Lighter Crown For Practical Reasons
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams previously explained that the queen's decision not to wear the crown must be down to practicality.
"There's no question that it's just a matter of accommodating advancing age in as dignified a way as possible," he said (via BBC).
Royal author Victoria Murphy also said that little tweaks are starting to show as the queen aged. For instance, she took the lift instead of the stairs at the State Opening of Parliament in 2016.
And in the six years thereafter, the queen also scaled down her royal duties and limited her public engagements.
On Sept. 8, she passed away peacefully in Balmoral with Prince Charles and Princess Anne by her side.
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