Her Majesty is 83 years old, the Duke of Edinburgh (himself a WWII veteran who would have insisted on accompanying his wife) is 86. They are still very healthy for their age, but they can't just jump across the channel at will. It takes planning.
Ok - so it isn’t so much the Queen, but France (the Cheese-Eating-Surrender Monkeys that “we” saved in that war, who dropped the proverbial ball.
But why? Was it an intentional slight?
Just heard an amazing story yesterday from a guy at the gun club. He's an Army veteran, he happened to be in France on May Day when they were having a big Communist demonstration. He was at Napoleon's tomb at the Invalides and was standing next to an elderly Frenchman who had a chestful of medals - Croix de guerre with palm, etc. They chatted for a little while, and then the old fellow got a gleam in his eye and asked, "Will you march with an old soldier?" and went out the big double doors and into the midst of the communists, leaning on this guy's arm. He said they parted like the Red Sea for this old guy waving his cane like a sword.