Queen Elizabeth II heads to church with hearing aid ahead of 'crisis summit'

Queen Elizabeth II was apparently spotted wearing a hearing aid in her ear. This the first time the 93-year-old monarch was pictured sporting the electronic device.

According to The Sun, the queen was heading out for a church service on her Sandringham estate on Sunday amid the royal family crisis stirred up by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's big announcement about stepping down from royal duties as seniors.

The brown and red coloured device could reportedly be seen lodged in her right ear. While this is the first instance, Queen Elizabeth II was snapped wearing a hearing aid, her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, 98, openly wore the device in public five years ago, in October 2014.

The hearing aid is a device that is used to improving hearing function, especially for those suffering from hearing loss. According to Evening Standard, the queen is using the canal hearing aids. As per NHS England, this variety of hearing aids are not very "powerful for people suffering from severe hearing loss." It is said that hearing aids could only function effectively when there is some hearing left. It only strengthens the power to pick up the sounds.

For the Sunday service, the head of the state was dressed in camel-coloured button-down coat and matched it with colour-coordinated hat.

Attending a church service every Sunday in St. Mary Magdalene Church seems like a routine for the royal family while they spend their time in Norfolk. Last week, the monarch was spotted attending church with Kate Middleton and Prince William. They were also joined by Kate's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton.

Meanwhile, the church service comes ahead of what is being called the crunch summit. She has apparently summoned Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry to the Sandringham estate on Monday for a discussion about the future of royal family after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's decision to carve a "financially independent" life for them. Together, they will be discussing matters to devise a solution and come up with an appropriate role for the Sussexes.

"This is a landmark meeting which is ­absolutely unprecedented," queen's former press secretary Dickie Arbiter said as quoted by The Sun. It is said that Meghan will join the meeting via conference call as she returned to Canada just a day after the couple dropped the bombshell.