Queen Elizabeth II back at work with light duties, won't attend COP26

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II carried out her first engagements on Tuesday since staying overnight in hospital last week, but Buckingham Palace confirmed that she will not be travelling to Glasgow for the COP26 climate summit next week.

According to the Royal Family's website, the monarch was listed as attending a reception on November 1 as part of the climate change conference, to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, the palace confirmed on Tuesday evening that the Queen will continue to undertake only light duties from Windsor Castle and not travel to Scotland.

"Following advice to rest, the Queen has been undertaking light duties at Windsor Castle, a palace statement said.

"Her Majesty has regretfully decided that she will no longer travel to Glasgow to attend the Evening Reception of COP26 on Monday, November 1. Her Majesty is disappointed not to attend the reception but will deliver an address to the assembled delegates via a recorded video message," the statement said.

A series of royal COP26 engagements will now only include her son and heir Prince Charles and wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, as well as grandson Prince William and wife Kate Middleton between November 1 and 5.

Earlier, the 95-year-old monarch, who is based at Windsor Castle in Berkshire, held video call audiences with the South Korean and Swiss ambassadors at Buckingham Palace.

South Korea's Gunn Kim and ambassador from the Swiss Confederation Markus Leitner were pictured interacting with the Queen virtually.

Today the Queen received two Ambassadors in audience via video link from Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Twitter.

There are more than 170 Ambassadors and High Commissioners based in London at any given time and each will have an Audience with The Queen shortly after taking up his or her role, the statement noted.

Last week, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said the Queen had spent a night at a London hospital on Wednesday for preliminary investigations and has been resting at Windsor Castle since.

The Queen stayed in King Edward VII's, a private hospital used by senior royals including her husband, the late Duke of Edinburgh, who received treatment there earlier this year. She also skipped her usual church service at Windsor on Sunday.

The Queen appeared in good spirits in pictures showing her virtual meeting with the ambassadors, who presented their Letters of Credence to her.