Queen Elizabeth II misses Sunday church service at Crathie Kirk due to COVID-19 crisis

Queen Elizabeth II and the rest of the British royal family have always attended the Sunday church service at Crathie Kirk during their summer vacation at the Balmoral estate.

However, Queen Elizabeth II had to miss the visit this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, as she wanted to avoid encouraging crowds gathering at the church. But it seems that the 94-year-old found an alternative way to worship by inviting the Reverend at her Scottish castle, reports Hello! magazine.

"A Service of Prayer and Reflection was held at Balmoral Castle this evening. The Reverend Kenneth MacKenzie preached the Sermon," read a circular by the British royal court for Aug. 30.

The British monarch had to skip the Sunday service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor as well when she was isolating with husband Prince Philip at Windsor Castle during the coronavirus lockdown. It is believed that she would have been able to attend a service at her own private chapel within Windsor Castle.

The queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are currently enjoying a vacation with the rest of their family at Balmoral. Meanwhile, a documentary special has been released by National Geographic about the private and public life of the British monarch.

The hour-long special, titled "Being the Queen," is directed by Tom Jennings, the "Emmy and Peabody" award-winning filmmaker who also created the 2017 documentary about Princess Diana titled "Diana: In Her Own Words." Archival material, rare photographs, and previously unseen parts of the queen's life are a part of the new documentary.

Jennings noted that Netflix's acclaimed series "The Crown" has led to a renewed interest in the queen's life. He said: "The first season really stoked the fires of additional fascination. The queen has weathered so much and still manages to hold her head high."

"I would hope she would say, 'You know, this documentary takes an angle that really hasn't been explored before.' I'd like to think she'll say, 'He did it right, and whether I agree with everything or not, it's a job well done,'" Jennings added.