Britain's Queen Elizabeth misses Christmas services because of 'heavy cold'

The British royal family went to church without Queen Elizabeth — (Image credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

For the first time since at least 1988, Queen Elizabeth II did not attend Christmas Day church services in Sandringham, near the royal family's Sandringham estate in Norfolk. Buckingham Palace explained that the 90-year-old monarch "continues to recover from a heavy cold and will stay indoors to assist with her recovery," though she plans to "participate in the royal family Christmas celebrations during the day." The queen and her husband, Prince Philip, had to travel to Sandringham by helicopter after they were both too ill last week to travel by train, as planned. Prince Philip, 95, attended the Christmas Day service along with other members of the royal family. If you're interested, you can watch them leave the service in the video below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.