Queen too ill to attend Christmas Day church service at Sandringham

Queen and Prince Philip began Christmas Day break a day late due to colds

The Queen will not be attending a Christmas Day service at Sandringham as she is continuing to recover from a heavy cold, Buckingham Palace has said.

Prince Philip is also suffering from a cold but is expected to attend the service at her Norfolk estate this morning, where crowds have already gathered. Other members of the royal family are also attending the service.

The Queen has not missed a service at Sandringham since 1988.

The Queen will pay tribute to “ordinary people doing extraordinary things” in her prerecorded Christmas message later today.

Queen Elizabeth II is the world's longest-reigning living monarch. She is to step down as Patron of a number of organisations and charities before her 91st birthday, it was announced this week.

She will pass on patronages from organisations including the Holocaust Day Memorial Trust, NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children), Barnardo’s and Save the Children UK to other members of the royal family.