Prince Philip arrives for the Commonwealth Day Service alone
The Queen has pulled out of Monday's Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace has said.
Her withdrawal comes as she continues to recover from her recent illness, it said in a statement.
The Duke of Edinburgh attended the service as planned, while the Queen will be at a reception in the evening.
Last week she was admitted to hospital for the first time in 10 years, suffering from the symptoms of gastroenteritis.
"The Queen hopes to undertake some of her official engagements planned for the rest of this week," the statement said.
'Shared values'BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said the Queen, 86, saw a doctor on Monday morning and the decision was taken that it would be best if she did not sit through an hour-long Church service.
He added that the statement suggested that she may miss other engagements this week.
This is a decision the Queen will not have taken lightly.
She has an attachment to the Commonwealth which has not always been shared by her government of the day.
The association of countries - almost all of which were once under British rule - has afforded the Queen a continued global role long after the empire that her ancestors once ruled had gone.
But given that her illness is still lingering, her doctor will have advised the 86-year-old monarch to avoid sitting through a lengthy service in an ancient, draughty abbey.
She may well miss more public engagements later this week.
But officials insist the Queen is not bedridden and her failure to shake off the virus is not something to "fret about".
Indeed, she will be seen in public this evening when she signs the new Commonwealth Charter and delivers a short speech.
Officials insist the Queen's health problems are "nothing serious " and "nothing to fret about", our correspondent said.
The Westminster Abbey service was attended by Commonwealth ambassadors and featured an address from tycoon Richard Branson.
Later on Monday at a reception at Marlborough House she is expected to sign a charter setting out the Commonwealth's values and commitment to equal rights.
The Commonwealth, which accounts for 30% of the world's population, has for the first time drawn up a charter that details 16 core beliefs.
These include upholding democracy and opposing "all forms of discrimination" although it does not explicitly include discrimination against gay people.
In some Commonwealth countries, homosexual acts are illegal.
In her annual message, the Queen spoke about the benefits of the organisation she heads.
She said: "Our shared values of peace, democracy, development, justice and human rights - which are found in our new Commonwealth Charter - mean that we can place special emphasis on including everyone in this goal, especially those who are vulnerable."
Our correspondent said that to its critics the Commonwealth was ineffective but its supporters remember the moral authority it brought to the campaign against apartheid.
For the Queen, it has been an important dimension of her reign.
The charter states: "We are implacably opposed to all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds."
It was adopted by all 54 Commonwealth nations in December.
The 16 areas of affirmation cover democracy, rule of law, international security and freedom of expression.
All official engagements last week, including a visit to Rome, were either cancelled or postponed after the Queen was treated at London's King Edward VII's Hospital.
Buckingham Palace said the Queen was admitted as a precaution and was otherwise in "good health".
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