A senior magazine wanted to name her Oldie of the Year. The Queen declined with thanks: “You are as old as you feel.”
London – Queen Elizabeth II has turned down a UK senior magazine’s award for Oldie of the Year.
“Her Majesty believes you are as old as you feel,” wrote the 95-year-old’s private secretary, Tom Laing-Baker, in a written rejection to The Oldie magazine published in the November issue of the magazine became. “Therefore, the Queen is of the opinion that she does not meet the relevant criteria to accept the award and hopes that a more suitable candidate will be found,” it said.
The annual award usually goes to seniors who have made a special contribution to the common good. Previous winners include the former Prime Minister John Major, but also Nobel Prize winners and the Queen’s husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April.
The Queen recently showed up several times with a walking stick at public appointments, prompting concerns about her fitness. The Queen’s calendar is still well filled, however, on Tuesday she welcomed the EU ambassador, Joao de Almeida, to a private audience. dpa
