The Queen beamed as she carried on with her royal duties, holding virtual audiences the day after she confessed to having trouble moving.
The monarch, 95 was seated in front of her computer screen at Windsor Castle, where she received the Finnish and Jordanian ambassadors via video link on Thursday.
It is the latest in a run of engagements this week for the head of state amid a turbulent time for the royal family, with the Duke of York settling his sexual assault lawsuit, and the cash for honours police investigation linked to the Prince of Wales’s charity.
During the two audiences on Thursday, the Queen, in a floral dress with a large brooch and her trademark pearls, could be seen smiling on screen as she chatted to the diplomats.
The ambassador of Finland Jukka Siukosaari, who was at Buckingham Palace, presented the Letters of Recall of his predecessor and his own Letters of Credence on the antique table in front of the monitor.
He was joined by his wife Mariella.
The ambassador of Jordan Manar Dabbas also presented his credentials.
The official engagements took place as a poll revealed the Queen’s popularity as the nation’s favourite royal has grown.
Almost half (45%) of people who took part named the monarch as one of their most liked royals, a rise of five percentage points since March 2021, Ipsos said.
It also showed the Duchess of Cambridge has jumped above her husband, the Duke of Cambridge, to take second place in the royal popularity stakes for the first time.
Kate’s popularity increased by seven percentage points to 34% and William three points to 31% since March 2021.
But languishing at the bottom was Andrew, cast adrift from the institution in the wake of his damaging sexual assault case, with the duke remaining at 2%.
On Wednesday, the sovereign, standing holding a walking stick, remarked during an in-person audience: “Well, as you can see, I can’t move.”
Her remarks raised concern for her frailty.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment but the Queen is understood to have been feeling slightly stiff, rather than having injured herself or being unwell.
For more than three months, she was ordered to rest and only carry out light duties after spending a night in hospital undergoing preliminary tests in October.
She faced a Covid scare last week after coming into contact with Charles, who later tested positive for the virus.
The Palace has continued to refuse to confirm whether the Queen tested positive or negative, citing medical privacy, and saying only that she was not displaying any symptoms.
The monarch has a number of major engagements coming up next month: the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on March 14 and then the Duke of Edinburgh’s memorial service, also at the Abbey, on March 29.
Traditionally, the Queen would usually arrive at the Great West Door of the Abbey, and walk the length of the church, through the Nave and the Quire, to her seat in the South Lantern.
But, in October, when she attended the Royal British Legion centenary service using a walking stick, she arrived via the Poet’s Yard entrance – a shorter route to her seat.
Her recent remarks suggest she may do the same for her own comfort next month.
The Palace declined to comment as to what arrangements were in place.
The Queen is also set to host the Diplomatic Reception on March 2, where she will meet hundreds of members of the Diplomatic Corps at Windsor.
In November, she missed the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph, which the Queen considers one of the most important engagements in her diary, due to a sprained back.
In 2016, she used the lift rather than stairs to enter Parliament for the State Opening for the first time, avoiding the 26 steps of the royal staircase at the Sovereign’s Entrance.
The Palace said at the time that the adjustment was made for “the Queen’s comfort”, with the decision attributed to knee pain.
