Queen Elizabeth II Receives Special Canterbury Cross from Archbishop of Canterbury

Queen Elizabeth II has conducted her first in-person audience since missing one of her most beloved royal engagements for the first time.

The monarch, who is 96 years old, met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, at Windsor Castle after she skipped royal ascot the previous week.

This was the first time in her reign that she had ever missed the event.

During the meeting, a special Canterbury cross was bestowed upon the Queen by the Archbishop of Canterbury in recognition of her unstinting service to the Church of England for more than 70 years.

The Queen, who has recently faced mobility issues at the age of 96, was pictured smiling and standing without her walking stick today as she was awarded the special Canterbury cross by Justin Welby after he was forced to miss her Thanksgiving service due to Covid.

The Queen, wearing her glasses and dressed in a cream dress decorated with a pattern of large pink flowers, was photographed standing as she was shown the cross.

The monarch shook hands with the Archbishop, who wore purple clerical robes, as he entered the oakroom sitting room in the Berkshire Castle.

Presented in a vivid red box and attached to a blue ribbon, the cross was specially crafted for its royal recipient with platinum inserts in recognition of her 70 years on the throne.

The Queen, who has a deep Christian faith, is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and Defender of the Faith.

In the citation for the cross, which was also given to the Queen as a framed piece of calligraphy, the Archbishop praised the monarch and hailed her care for the unity of people and the welfare of the least fortunate as a constant inspiration to the whole Church.

The Queen's life was an example of a Christian life well led, he said.

The Queen had a busy start to June as the nation celebrated her Jubilee during a four-day weekend of festivities.

These included a special Trooping the Colour, with hundreds of soldiers marching from Horseguard Parade to Buckingham Palace, a special flyover by the Red Arrows and other military planes, as well as a special concert in honour of Her Majesty.

Among these was a service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral in London, which saw members of the royal family and others congregate to express their thanks for the Queen's 70-year reign.

However, Her Majesty herself did not attend after experiencing some discomfort during the previous day's festivities.

She would also miss the Epsom Derby the next day, before making an appearance at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on the final day of celebrations.

The service of thanksgiving was supposed to be taken by the Archbishop of Canterbury, but a combination of Covid and pneumonia left him unable to do so.