Queen Elizabeth Releases Poignant Commonwealth Day Message amid Her Absence

Chris Jackson/Buckingham Palace via Getty Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth is continuing to affirm her "service" to Britain and dozens of countries around the world.

In her annual Commonwealth Day message on Monday, the 95-year-old monarch echoed the vow she made on her 21st birthday in 1947 that she will be forever "devoted" to her public work.

On Friday, the Queen, who has suffered a series of health issues since October, announced she was bowing out of attending the service and wanted her son Prince Charles to represent her at the service.

"In this year of my Platinum Jubilee, it has given me pleasure to renew the promise I made in 1947, that my life will always be devoted in service," she stated in her message, which she wrote at Windsor Castle. It was released as the annual Commonwealth Day service took place at Westminster Abbey on Monday.

Although she recently recovered from COVID-19, PEOPLE understands that the Queen's absence from the Commonwealth Day Service is not related to illness. There were discussions surrounding the monarch's comfort when it came to her travel arrangements and attending the service, which celebrates the union of the 54 nations that make up the Commonwealth.

"The Queen will continue with other planned engagements, including in-person audiences, in the week ahead," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall arrive at the Commonwealth Day Service on March 14, 2022

Affectionately calling the Commonwealth the "family of nations" in her message, the Queen also reiterated her hope that the countries –—from Canada to Australia to India and Jamaica — can be a "point of connection, cooperation and friendship."

She adds, "It is a place to come together to pursue common goals and the common good, providing everyone with the opportunity to serve and benefit."

Signing her message, "Elizabeth R," she seemingly referenced Russia's attack on Ukraine and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (she tested positive for coronavirus on Feb. 20) as she concluded her message: "In these testing times, it is my hope that you can draw strength and inspiration from what we share, as we work together towards a healthy, sustainable and prosperous future for all."

Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images Kate Middleton and Prince William arrive at the Commonwealth Day Service on March 14, 2022

Other members of the royal family, including Prince William and Kate Middleton and Charles's wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall attended the service in London. It marks the first time since the coronavirus pandemic started that an in-person service has been able to take place. The last Commonwealth Day service was in March 2020, which was also the last joint royal outing that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended before officially stepping back as senior working members of the royal family.

Before the service on Monday, William and Kate shared a social media message celebrating the day.

RELATED: Queen Elizabeth's Recent Health Setbacks — from Her Hospitalization to Her COVID-19 Diagnosis

The Queen, who tested positive for COVID-19 last month, was able to carry out an in-person engagement last week, meeting with Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau during his visit to Britain. Despite being seen regularly with a walking stick in recent months, she didn't appear to need to use one during the meeting.

As last-minute preparations took place for Monday's ceremony at Westminster Abbey, it was confirmed that Charles and Camilla will represent the Queen at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda, in June. The meeting was postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Getty Queen Elizabeth

Since 1969, Prince Charles has visited 46 Commonwealth countries, the palace said, as they released a statement on his behalf on Monday, in which he praised the "rich diversity of traditions, experience and talents which can help to build a more equal, sustainable and prosperous future" across the organization.

"As the world works to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, and in this Jubilee year, it is more important than ever that the countries of the Commonwealth come together," Charles said as he added that his "wife and I are delighted to be attending " meeting in June.

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William and Kate will be heading out on the first Commonwealth tour on the Queen's behalf next week as they visit Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas.