THE QUEEN is expected to make her first appearance at Sandringham tomorrow after being struck down with a heavy cold over Christmas.
The 90-year-old monarch broke protocol for the first time ever when she decided not to attend both her traditional Christmas and New Year's church services.
However, it is now believed that the Queen is feeling better and will attend a Sunday service tomorrow at St Mary Magdalene Church on her Norfolk Estate.
Buckingham Palace has refused to comment on the rumours and said the Queen's appearance will be confirmed after 9.30am tomorrow.
Such was the intensity of her condition over the festive period that the monarch delayed her annual trip to Sandringham for the holidays.
She traveled one day later than planned and used a helicopter rather than a train to shorten the travel time.
Prince Philip, 95, also suffered from the heavy cold but managed to recover enough to attend the service on New Year's Day.
Princess Anne told well-wishers that her mother was feeling 'better' as she attended with her father last Sunday.
Royal sources suggested that the Queen had a persistent 'hacking cough' and was staying away from church as she did not want to disturb other worshippers
The Palace's last official statement was last Sunday morning when it was confirmed that the Queen would not be attending last week's service.
The statement only said: 'The Queen does not yet feel ready to attend church as she is still recuperating from a heavy cold.'
Her prolonged illness has raised some concerns because colds and flus can be dangerous for elderly people.
The Queen has generally been in good health in recent years, although she has cut down somewhat on her traveling and public appearances.
However, signs of the monarch being on the mend were revealed earlier this week when she presented a trusted member of staff with an honour.
The queen invested Ray Wheaton, the Queen's Page of the Chambers, with the insignia of a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order, according to the court circular.
The LVO, which is the Queen's personal gift and is bestowed independently of 10 Downing Street, recognises service to the Royal Family and household.
She is also said to be up and about and dealing with her red boxes of official papers.
On Tuesday she sent a message of condolence to the President of Turkey, following the attack in an Istanbul nightclub on New Year's Day that killed 39 people.
The Queen said she and Philip were saddened and that their thoughts were with the families of the victims and with the Turkish people.
It has certainly been an eventful week for the elderly monarch, with reports claiming that she was almost shot by one of her own guards while she took a late-night stroll through Buckingham Palace's grounds.
The guard is said to have shouted into the darkness when he spotted a figure walking around Buckingham Palace at 3am, believing it might be an intruder.
But the shadowy suspect was in fact Her Majesty, who had stepped out for some fresh air because she couldn't sleep.
The guard confessed to Her Majesty he had nearly fired his weapon, to which she quipped: 'Next time I'll ring through beforehand so you don't have to shoot me.'
Cc Dailymail
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