Story highlights Queen skips New Year's Day church service at Sandringham

Palace cites "heavy cold" which has kept the monarch indoors for most of holiday season

(CNN) Queen Elizabeth did not attend a New Year's Day church service as she continues to recover from a "heavy cold," a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.

Despite her absence at church, the monarch is "up" and "working" Sunday, a royal source told CNN. The source added that the Queen is "taking red boxes," a reference to the famous red boxes that contain government documents and other information and business pertaining to her role as head of state.

The 90-year-old monarch and her husband, Prince Philip, have been under the weather for most of holiday season, having previously delayed their traditional journey to their country home, Sandringham House in Norfolk, after falling ill before Christmas.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh attends a Christmas Day church service with members of the royal family at Sandringham.

However, Prince Philip had recovered enough to attend church on Christmas Day, alongside his son Prince Charles, his grandson Prince Harry and other members of the royal family. The Queen remained indoors to recuperate from the persisting illness, according to an earlier Buckingham Palace statement.

It was the first year that the monarch has missed a Christmas Day church service since she began celebrating the holidays at Sandringham back in 1998.

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