Queen in hospital as trip cancelled (From Free Press Series)

Queen in hospital as trip cancelled

4:00pm Sunday 3rd March 2013 in National News © Press Association 2013

The Queen has been admitted to hospital with symptoms of gastroenteritis, Buckingham Palace said.

She had been due to visit Rome for two days this week, but the trip has been cancelled.

A Palace spokesman said: "The Queen is being assessed at the King Edward VII's Hospital, London, after experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis.

"As a precaution, all official engagements for this week will regrettably be either postponed or cancelled."

The Queen's sickness was first announced on Friday, and she spent Saturday resting at Windsor.

She was due to attend a military celebration in Wales during the country's St David's Day celebrations, but was forced to cancel the plans.

The Queen, who is 86, has undertaken a number of engagements during the last week. On Tuesday she met the Archbishop of Canterbury at Buckingham Palace, and on Thursday she presented a host of Olympic stars with honours during an investiture ceremony.

A spokesman for the Queen said she was in "good spirits" and was otherwise in "good health" besides the symptoms of gastroenteritis.

He said: "This is a precautionary measure. She was not taken into hospital immediately after feeling the symptoms. This is simply to enable doctors to better assess her."

Downing Street said that Prime Minister David Cameron had passed on his best wishes to the Queen.