‘She’s disappointed’: New blow for Queen Elizabeth amid health concerns

As the Queen battles ongoing health concerns, the monarch was forced to give up one of her lifelong passions. It came as it was revealed she and Kate Middleton have been having private calls.

The Queen was forced to give up her beloved horse riding two months ago after suffering “discomfort”.

The 95-year-old monarch was told to rein in her equestrianism in early September, amid ongoing concerns over her health.

According to a report in The Sun, the Queen – a keen horsewoman and avid racing fan – has not been out on a horse since her summer break in Scotland.

A Balmoral source said: “She was in quite a bit of discomfort. She adores riding and it has been part of her ritual for most of her life”.

Concerns have been raised over Queen Elizabeth’s health. Picture: AFP

The Queen has loved horses throughout her life. Picture: AFP

‘She has been extremely disappointed.’ Picture: WPA Pool/Getty Images

“She has been extremely disappointed not to go riding since the beginning of September.”

But royal insiders insist the Queen has refused to give up her favourite pursuit and plans to return after rest and recuperation.

The monarch, who spent a night in hospital last week, is under strict orders to carry out “light duties” and cannot even walk her corgis.

She has also been seen walking with a stick, missed a trip to church at the weekend and has pulled out of meeting world leaders at the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow next week.

Kate and the Queen in 2012. Picture: AFP

Meantime, the Queen is said to have grown closer to granddaughter-in-law Kate Middleton lately – the woman who will one day be Queen.

“Kate sent the queen a huge bouquet of flowers from her family,” a source told Us Weekly.

“George, Charlotte and Louis made ‘get well soon’ cards.”

The source revealed that the Queen and Kate were “talking more than ever since [the] health scare” and that the Duchess of Cambride “has a special bond with the Queen”.

Speaking to Us, the source revealed that the pair share “one-on-one phone conversations”.

The Queen was pictured working at Buckingham Palace this week, allaying some fears over her health. Buckingham Palace/PA Wire

The Queen had 120 engagements between the Duke of Edinburgh’s death in April and a recent cancelled trip to Northern Ireland, per The Sun. She was pictured this week taking a Zoom call at Buckingham Palace.

The Queen has had a fondness for horses throughout her life and was given her first horse (a Shetland pony) when she was just four years old.

Shealso attends the Windsor Horse Show every year and is known to get exuberant when watching horse racing at Royal Ascot. It’s also been common to see the Queen bundle up for a ride around the Windsor Castle grounds.

Her love of horseback riding has also been passed on to the next generations of royals as well. The Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, became the first royal to compete in the Olympics when she rode in the equestrian three-day event at the 1976 Games in Montreal. Following in her footsteps, Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall, competed in the 2012 Olympics and won a silver medal as a member of the Great Britain Eventing Team.