Queen Elizabeth joked she “can’t move” during a meeting at Windsor Castle.
The 95-year-old monarch met with outgoing Defence Services Secretary Rear Admiral James Macleod and Major General Eldon Millar – who is taking over the position – at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.
As the men entered the room, the Queen said: “I’m here!”
The duo paused by the entrance and asked the Queen how she was.
In response, the Queen – who is seen holding a cane in a video clip of their meeting – says: “Well, as you can see, I can’t move.”
The men and the Queen then stepped forward to meet each other.
The monarch previously used a walking stick in October, when she attended a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London. The event marked the first time she had used a stick since 2003.
However, she has been seen with a stick a number of times over recent weeks, including at Sandringham House on the eve of her Accession Day.
Despite this, the Queen was actually described as being on “sparkling” form during the reception at Sandringham.
Yvonne Browne, the vice-president of the Sandringham Women’s Institute, attended the event on February 5 and she was full of praise for the monarch.
She said: “Seventy years on the throne shows the Queen has been a moving example to absolutely everyone in all walks of life.
“She’s been a constant, compassionate and stoic, everything that makes a perfect human being, and has a great strength of character and has overcome so many things.”
The Queen also spoke with a group of former employees at the Sandringham Estate, and they spent time reminiscing about a flood in Norfolk in 1953.
She said: “I remember sitting at dinner, the fire alarm went off – no fire, the sea was coming in. It’s a very nasty experience.”
