Queen cuts down on long-haul travel; cancels Commonwealth visit
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh wave farewell to Australia at the Perth International Airport on October 29, 2011 in Perth, Australia. The visit may have been her last down under as she scales back her travel schedule.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that the queen will miss the Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka for the first time in 40 years.
The queen of England has attended every Commonwealth summit around the world since 1973.
The news comes as the 87-year-old monarch reconsiders her grueling schedule that sends her jetting around the world like an elderly rock star.
Queen Elizabeth has already significantly cut back her travel plans and was hospitalized earlier this year for gastroenteritis.
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The monarch has played down the role of health issues in her decision to scale back on long-haul travel.
The Telegraph reported that there were already rumors she was not planning to return to far-off places in the Commonwealth like New Zealand and Australia.
The queen attended the Commonwealth meeting in Perth, Australia in 2011 — possibly the most far-flung city in the Empire.