Queen Elizabeth II Looks Radiant During In-Person Engagement at Windsor Castle

Queen Elizabeth II has responded to claims that she is using a wheelchair by appearing beaming at an in-person engagement at Windsor Castle.

The 95-year-old monarch was in her element on Wednesday as she was all smiles during an at-home viewing of handcrafted artefacts which took place at Windsor.

Her Majesty looked incredible for the audience as she sported a silk spring dress covered in flowers and completed the look with her favourite three-string pearl necklace.

Despite the need for her walking stick, which the Queen confessed she used because of her mobility problems, she looked wonderful as she complimented her spring-inspired look with her trademark black patent lounger handbag and enjoyed viewing the trinkets through gold half-moon glasses.

The look was accessorised with a sentimental brooch.

The piece, which is a gem-studded flower basket, is set with diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds and was given to Her Majesty by her parents in 1948 to mark the birth of her first child, Prince Charles.

The Queen is said to have particularly enjoyed the visit, picking up some of the tiny emerald boxes to inspect them.

Among the items was a selection of the earliest designs.

The company was founded in 1950, just two years before the start of the Queen's reign.

Taking a closer look at the antique pieces, the Queen held a small oval Windsor Castle trinket box with a red base, decorated with a black and white painting of the monarch's favourite royal residence.

She also picked up a large rectangular trinket box, edged with lavender, featuring three colour portraits of her late mother, the Queen Mother, as a young woman.

The emerald piece was released in 2005 and features Samuel Warburton's 1923 triptych painting of the Queen Mother in the year she married the Queen's father.

The Queen Mother was an avid fan of the firm's creations and first commissioned an emerald box in 1970 of her home Clarence House.

Other members of the royal family soon followed suit and the Queen Mother went on to issue the company's first royal warrant in 1972.

The monarch also saw Halcyon Day's first-ever year box from the Silver Jubilee of 1997 and viewed new platinum jubilee pieces which are dark blue and painted with platinum flowers of the realm.

Peter Harper, owner of the firm, and Pamela Harper, chairman and chief executive, talked the Queen through the pieces.

Mrs Harper described the event as a great privilege, saying afterwards, “We are deeply honoured and the experience was simply fabulous.”

The official engagement marked the Queen's first in-person visit with a significant group of attendees since her pre-jubilee reception last month when she joined members of the local community in the Sandringham House ballroom in Norfolk.

Photos from Wednesday's event came amid reports that the frail Queen has been using a wheelchair and just days before she hopes to attend a memorial service of her late husband Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey next week.

She contracted Covid-19 in February and also spent more than three months from October under doctor's orders to only conduct light duties.

Last week, the Queen missed the Commonwealth Day service, which was also at Westminster Abbey, a decision understood to be related to her comfort rather than a specific illness.

She is hoping to attend the Duke of Edinburgh's memorial service on Tuesday.

Earlier today, it was confirmed members of the royal family will attend but did not confirm the Queen would be among them.

There are fears Her Majesty could miss the event in honour of her late husband of more than 70 years after recent bouts of bad health.

Last Wednesday, her biographer Robert Hartman said, “mobility is something of an issue now.

However, it's not lowered her mood, with Robert adding, I'm told by those very close to her that she's in very good spirits, you know, absolutely pin-sharp as ever.

But, but there is a mobility issue.

Inevitably, when you're coming up to your 96th birthday, and also dignity, I think it's terribly important.

She is the Queen.

She wants to be seen as the Queen.

She wants to look the part.”

Mr Hartman's comments come two days after Christopher Biggins told GB News he'd been told the Queen was now largely confined to a wheelchair.

The entertainer said it was very sad, but that he hoped she'd be well enough to enjoy the upcoming anniversary celebrations.

He said, “I have heard that the reason she's not doing a lot of the events that she should be doing and cancelling them is because she is in a wheelchair.