The Braemar Gathering is one of the Queen’s favourite events, one where she seems at her happiest, laughing and smiling as she watches the Highland games.
The Queen, 96, has only missed the Gathering five times before in her 70-year reign and her absence will spark further fears for her health as she has not been seen in public since July 21.
A royal source said: “The Queen’s episodic mobility problems have meant her decision to miss the Braemar Gathering has been taken for her comfort.
“Her Majesty will, naturally, be disappointed to miss out on the weekend’s festivities, but will no doubt be supporting the competitors and organisers from home.”
The Queen will today stay at nearby Balmoral while Prince Charles joins the spectators at Braemar, where his mother’s absence will be sorely felt by locals as well as visitors from across the globe.
Her Majesty is patron of the Gathering, which she clearly loves, always smiling broadly while watching the “heavy” events, such as Tossing the Caber, and Putting the Stone, as well as the Highland dancing and the pipe bands.
Royal watchers are growing increasingly concerned for the Queen’s health as she has not been seen in public since arriving at Aberdeen airport on July 21 for the start of her holiday at Balmoral.
But Palace sources moved quickly to allay concerns, with several suggesting Her Majesty remained “pin sharp” despite scaling back her public appearances in recent months due to her health and spending a night in hospital in October for an unspecified illness.
It was announced this week that she would – for the first time in her reign – meet the new Prime Minister at Balmoral, not Buckingham Palace, to invite them to form a government.
The decision was made on the advice of doctors, who thought the journey to London would be an unnecessary break from the Queen’s recuperation at Balmoral after a packed summer of celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee.
PM Boris Johnson will fly to Scotland on Tuesday to tender his resignation, with the new Conservative Party leader, either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak, making the 1,000-mile round trip for a separate audience later in the day. It is hoped further rest will prepare the Queen for Tuesday’s meetings.
Braemar organisers had hoped Her Majesty would be well enough to attend today. She normally watches the games for a couple of hours, often with a tartan blanket to keep warm, and it was feared it would be too much for her. The Braemar Gathering is a celebration of traditional Scottish games, music and dancing in Braemar, 60 miles west of Aberdeen, and a 15-minute drive from Balmoral.
The gathering has existed in its present form since 1832 and been attended regularly by monarchs and members of the Royal Family since Queen Victoria first attended in 1848.
Prince Albert bought Balmoral for Victoria four years later.
During the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations this year, she was forced to miss several events due to her recurring mobility problems.
With “great reluctance”, she missed the service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral during the June bank holiday weekend after spending more than 30 minutes standing on the Buckingham Palace balcony on two occasions during the Trooping the Colour ceremony the day before.
She also missed the following day’s Epsom Derby, another one of her favourite events of the year.
In May, the Queen passed responsibility for the State Opening of Parliament to Prince Charles, accompanied by Prince William, missing the ceremony for only the third time in her 70-year reign and the first in 59 years.
The Queen is due to remain in Scotland until early October, when she will return to Windsor Castle.
