英女王、スコットランド訪問　数週間ぶりに公の場に

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】英国のエリザベス女王（９６）は２７日、王室行事に参加するため１週間の日程でスコットランドを訪問した。女王をめぐっては、健康不安から訪問の実現を危ぶむ声も上がっていたが、同日エディンバラで開かれた式典に出席した。（写真は英スコットランド・エディンバラのホリールードハウス宮殿の前庭で、同市の鍵を渡されるエリザベス女王。国防省提供）
　今月５日に執り行われた在位７０年を祝うプラチナジュビリーの式典以来、女王が公の場に姿を現したのはこれが初めて。
　女王のスコットランド訪問は、王室の年次行事である「ホリールードウイーク」の一環。
　昨年１０月に一晩入院した女王は、以後公務を休むことが多くなっている。王室は先月、バッキンガム宮殿とホリールードでの今夏のガーデンパーティーに、女王は参加しないと発表した。
　ただ女王は、２８日にホリールードの庭園で行われる軍関連の式典には出席する予定となっている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/06/28-14:57）

Queen Elizabeth II travelled to Scotland on Monday for a week of royal events and took part in a ceremony in Edinburgh, despite question marks over her attendance.
It was the first public appearance for the 96-year-old monarch, who has been dogged by ill health, since her Platinum Jubilee celebrations ended on June 5.
She had previously held audiences at Windsor Castle with foreign diplomats and the Archbishop of Canterbury but had not been certain to travel to Edinburgh.
She took part in the symbolic Ceremony of the Keys, which sees her handed the keys of the city and welcomed to her ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland.
Tradition dictates that she hands them back to the lord provost -- the equivalent to the city's mayor -- when she leaves.
Other members of the royal family attending the event at the Palace of Holyroodhouse included her youngest son, Edward, and his wife Sophie.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex are known as the Earl and Countess of Forfar in Scotland.
The queen's heir, Prince Charles -- called the Earl of Rothesay in Scotland -- and her only daughter, Princess Anne, are also in Scotland this week.
The monarch's disgraced second son, Prince Andrew -- the Earl of Inverness north of the border -- is not involved.
He has been frozen out of royal duties due to public outrage at his links to the convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and after he settled a US civil claim for sexual assault.
In May, royal officials said the queen would not attend this summer's royal garden parties at Buckingham Palace and at Holyrood.
She spent an unscheduled night in hospital last October, forcing her to cancel a series of public engagements.
She has since complained of difficulties walking and standing, and has increasingly been seen using a stick for support.
On Tuesday, she is scheduled to attend an armed forces ceremony in the gardens of Holyrood.