Queen Elizabeth II cancels trip to Commonwealth meet in S. Lanka

LONDON: Queen Elizabeth II is cutting down on her traveling and will skip the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Sri Lanka later this year — the first time she’s missed the biennial gathering since 1971, Buckingham Palace said yesterday.
The queen has long been a major supporter of the 54-nation Commonwealth, and her decision to send Prince Charles to the November meeting in Sri Lanka is seen as a reflection of her 87 years and of efforts to reduce long-distance journeys.
She was briefly hospitalized for a stomach illness earlier this year, and did not attend the Commonwealth Day Observance service at Westminster Abbey on March 11. She has rarely taken time off for illness, having carried out more than 400 official engagements in 2012 — ranging from private meetings with the prime minister to ceremonial gatherings.
The summit brings together dozens of presidents and prime ministers from Britain’s former colonies. The group includes countries from five continents and espouses an impressive set of values: Democracy, human rights, free trade, racial equality, the rule of law and world peace.
The queen missed the meeting in Singapore in 1971, amid a controversy over Britain’s proposal to sell arms to South Africa.