Queen Elizabeth II to miss CHOGM 2013 for the first time

For the first time in 40 years, Queen Elizabeth II will skip this year’s Commonwealth summit in Colombo, Sri Lanka and instead her son Prince Charles will attend the biennial event.  This will be the first time since 1973, the 87-year-old Queen to miss the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) due to long-haul travel.

"The Queen will be represented at this year's Commonwealth heads of government meeting (CHOGM) by the Prince of Wales," her Buckingham Palace residence said in a brief statement.  "We are reviewing the amount of long-haul travel that is taken by the Queen."

The statement added that the decision was unrelated to the controversy over Sri Lanka's human rights record, which has prompted Canada to threaten to boycott the meeting.