UK Edition
The Queen attended church at Sandringham on Sunday morning in her first public appearance since before Christmas, as the Duchess of Cambridge told well-wishers the monarch was feeling “very well”.
The 90-year-old was driven the short 400-yard journey to St Mary Magdalene Church on her Norfolk estate just ahead of the 11am service.
In an unprecedented absence, she has been out of the public eye for almost a month after Buckingham Palace said she was struck down with a "heavy cold".
Her last official engagement was on December 9 and, while courtiers insisted there was no cause for concern, members of the public who are used to the monarch’s typically good bill of health reacted anxiously.
She rarely takes time off and her last serious illness nearly four years ago - a bout of gastroenteritis which forced her to cancel a trip to Rome - kept her away for the public eye for just over a week.
Royal sources have done their utmost to quell any concerns, insisting that the Queen has been “up and about”. But her outing yesterday is no doubt what was needed to dispel any remaining fears.
Wearing a royal blue hat with feathered detailing and matching blue coat, the Queen arrived at the 16th century church in a burgundy Bentley.
Sitting in the car beside the Duke of Edinburgh, who also suffered illness over Christmas, she was covered with a light blue fleece blanket and wore a pair of thick black gloves to stay warm.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also attended the service after walking the direct route from the house to the church, but there was no sign of Prince George or Princess Charlotte.
The Duchess recycled a £1,500 forest green designer coat from Sportmax for the occasion, matching it with a grey furry hat and black heels.
Her appearance came ahead of her 35th birthday on Monday, which she is expected to mark privately with her family.
She was joined by her sister, Pippa, mother Carole, father Michael and brother James.
The congregation sang God Save The Queen before Rev Jonathan Riviere led prayers for the Queen and the Royal family.
As the monarch left the church an hour later, there was applause from the crowd and she could be seen smiling as she departed in the Bentley alongside her husband, who typically joins the rest of the party by foot.
While the Duke of Cambridge remained tight-lipped on his grandmother’s illness, the Duchess told one onlooker who asked how the Queen was after the service that she was “very well”.
A small handful of well-wishers voiced their concerns the monarch appeared “slightly more stooped” than normal, but the majority commented on how well she looked.
Colin Bunn, 70, of Snettisham, Norfolk, said she looked "beautiful" and pointed out that she had walked down the steps outside the church unaided. His wife Pam, 67, added: "She looked good. She had a lovely outfit on and looked well."
Royal photographer Arthur Edwards, who has been following the Queen since 1977, reiterated that she looked "really good" and said the couple appeared to be "over" any illness.
The Queen broke protocol for the first time in her almost 64-year reign when she decided not to attend both her traditional Christmas and New Year's Sandringham church services.
She had delayed her annual trip to the estate for the holidays, opting to travel one day later than planned and by helicopter rather than by train to shorten the travel time.
Reports suggested she had not been seen going around the 20,000-acre estate as she often does when in residence, but the royal household continued to do their best to reassure that the Queen just had a cold.
A court circular made clear she was still carrying out her duties as she presented Ray Wheaton, her Page of the Chambers, with the insignia of a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order.
She was also said to have been carrying out her "red box" duties, checking documents every day and sending a message of condolences to the President of Turkey after a terror attack in the country left 39 dead.
But royal commentators made clear that a public appearance was what was needed. Before the service, Joe Little, the managing editor of Majesty magazine, had said he was "hopeful" that the Queen would be at church.
He added: "Missing one week at church was a little bit of a concern and when she didn't attend for a second week, it escalated that concern. If she missed a third week, then it would be at the alarming stage."
The Duke of Edinburgh, meanwhile, had recovered enough to attend the service on New Year's Day. He is also believed to have joined other members of the Royal family on their traditional Boxing Day pheasant shoot.
The couple are now expected to spend a couple of weeks at the estate before returning to London and starting their official engagements at the start of February.