The Queen spent Wednesday night in hospital for ‘preliminary investigations’, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.

The 95-year-old monarch, who was ordered to rest by doctors and advised to miss a trip to Northern Ireland, returned to Windsor Castle at lunchtime on Thursday and remains in ‘good spirits’.

In a statement, the Palace said: ‘Following medical advice to rest for a few days, the Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today, and remains in good spirits.’

The head of state’s trip to central London’s private King Edward VII’s Hospital, which began on Wednesday afternoon, was kept a secret but the Palace issued a statement on Thursday evening after The Sun newspaper broke the news.

It was the monarch’s first overnight hospital stay in eight years.

She spent a night at the private clinic in 2013 when she was treated for a nasty bout of gastroenteritis.

She travelled to the hospital on Wednesday by car rather than by helicopter.

It is understood the head of state was due to attend for only a short stay while she was seen by specialists, so the development was not announced by the Palace at the time, and protecting the Queen’s medical privacy was also a consideration.

The overnight stay was said to be for ‘practical reasons’, a source said.

King Edward VII’s Hospital is 23 miles from Windsor – around a 55-minute drive in good traffic conditions.

Her Majesty’s team of royal physicians are understood to have been taking a ‘cautious approach’.

The Queen was said to be back at her desk on Thursday afternoon, undertaking light duties.

The Queen’s busy October schedule before a night in hospital

The Queen attended a number of engagements before spending a night in hospital on Wednesday.

She was ordered to rest by doctors and advised to miss a trip to Northern Ireland following her busy schedule.

Here is what the 95-year-old monarch has been up to since her return to Windsor Castle at the start of October:

– October 6: The Queen holds two virtual audiences at Windsor with the Greek ambassador and the ambassador for Belize.

She meets Canadian troops from 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, and later has a telephone audience with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

– October 7: The Queen, with the Earl of Wessex, launches the Queen’s Baton Relay for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games from the forecourt of Buckingham Palace.

– October 12: The Queen, accompanied by the Princess Royal, attends a Westminster Abbey service of thanksgiving to mark the centenary of the Royal British Legion.

She uses a walking stick at the abbey – the first time she has done so at a major event.

– October 13: The monarch has a face-to-face audience with pianist Dame Imogen Cooper to present her with the Queen’s Medal for Music. She also holds three other audiences.

– October 14: On an away day to Cardiff, the Queen delivers a speech at the sixth session of the Welsh Senedd.

– October 16: The Queen enjoys a day at the races at Ascot, and presents the trophy after the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes during the Qipco British Champions Day.

– October 18: She holds a virtual audience with the new Governor-General of New Zealand, Dame Cindy Kiro.

– October 19: The Queen has three engagements – two virtual audiences with the Japanese ambassador and the EU ambassador, and then hosts an evening reception at Windsor Castle to mark the Global Investment Summit.

She was said to be disappointed not to be able to travel to Northern Ireland on Wednesday, and reluctantly heeded the advice of her doctors.

The nation’s longest reigning monarch, whose husband the Duke of Edinburgh died just six months ago, has had a busy schedule since returning from Balmoral at the start of October.

She hosted a major Global Investment summit at Windsor Castle on Tuesday evening, where she looked bright and cheerful as she carried out her royal duties.

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Her admission is understood not to have been related to coronavirus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is continuing to resist calls from health leaders for tighter Covid restrictions despite the rising levels of infections

The daily number of cases reported in the UK has surpassed 50,000 for the first time since mid-July.

Buckingham Palace has not commented on whether the Queen has received her booster Covid-19 jab but given her age it is likely she has had it.

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