Queen’s use of electric buggy praised by Katie Nicholl

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Over the past few months, Her Majesty has been forced to bow out of key events due to episodic mobility issues. While the monarch famously said she needs to be “seen to be believed”, one expert said the monarch oozes more power than ever due to her age and experience as head of state, even if she is no longer under the spotlight as much as she used to be.

Reputation management expert Eric Schiffer told Express.co.uk: “The Queen is beloved worldwide, she is respected by world leaders, she has overseen the monarchy with such grace, class, wit and charm that she needs to utter only a few words for them to have a great impact, perhaps even more now than ever before.

“She can communicate with rare efficiency.

“While the volume of her public appearances may go down, her impact and power and effect perhaps is at its strongest point ever.”

The Queen acceded to the throne on February 6 1952, following the death of her beloved father King George VI.

During her record-breaking reign, the monarch has met 13 US presidents, all but one the leaders of the States who have been in power over the past 70 years.

Reigning over the UK and a number of overseas nations for seven decades, the monarch became the longest-serving sovereign in the history of the UK.

Having been on the throne for well over 25,670 days, she is also currently the third longest-reigning monarch in the world, and will soon overtake Bhumibol Adulyadej, the late King of Thailand.

The Queen started slashing the number of in-person visits she carries out in late October last year.

On October 20, when she was scheduled to visit Northern Ireland, she pulled out of the two-day trip, with Buckingham Palace saying the monarch was following her doctors’ advice to rest for a few days.

It later emerged Her Majesty had been taken to hospital on that same day to carry out “preliminary tests”, the nature of which has never been disclosed.

She did not leave her residence for a public visit for the rest of the year, missing even one of the most sacred events in her diary – the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in November.

The first event she undertook outside of palace walls was in March, when she headed to Westminster Abbey to attend the memorial service for Prince Philip.

A few days prior she missed the Commonwealth Day service, also held at the abbey in central London.

On May 10, she also missed for the first time in almost six decades the State Opening of Parliament, tasking Prince Charles to deliver the Queen’s Speech on her behalf.

In recent days, however, the Queen delighted the public by stepping out of Windsor Castle on multiple occasions.

On May 13, she surprised attendees at the Royal Windsor Horse Show as she was driven to the arena, distancing only 500 yards from her residence, to watch some of the competitions.

She also witnessed her youngest granddaughter, Lady Louise, taking part in a carriage drive exhibition.

Two days later, the monarch returned once again to the arena to watch the final night of A Gallop Through History, a star-studded equestrian show taking viewers on a journey through the past five centuries in Britain’s history.

And on May 17, the Queen headed to Paddington Station in London with Prince Edward to launch the rail line named after her.

On these three occasions, the monarch looked in great health and only used a walking stick for support.

On Monday, the Queen also headed to the Chelsea Flower Show, an event she has attended more than 50 times over the past seven decades.

For the first time in nine years, she undertook the visit aboard a golf buggy.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman commented on the sovereign’s appearance on the golf cart saying: “Adjustments have been made for the Queen’s comfort.”

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