Britain’s Queen Elizabeth did not attend a church service on New Year’s Day due to a heavy cold, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

“The Queen does not yet feel ready to attend church as she is still recuperating from a heavy cold,” the statement said, noting that the service was being held at Sandringham.

The queen’s failure to attend marked the second time she missed a major holiday service this season. She missed one on Christmas Day -- a rarity. The service is a cornerstone of the royal family’s Christmas celebrations and brings the monarch into contact with local residents who gather outside for a glimpse of her.

“The Queen continues to recover from a heavy cold and will stay indoors to assist with her recovery,” Buckingham Palace said last month about the Christmas service.

Get Breaking News Delivered to Your Inbox

The flu season hit many Britons hard in recent weeks, and colds and flus were spreading as of late December. A cold can be dangerous for people in their 90s, doctors have warned.