<p>Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday held a face-to-face audience with Britain's highest-ranking military officer, almost a month after her last public appearance.</p>.<p>The 95-year-old monarch withdrew from an annual event remembering Britain's war dead on Sunday with a "sprained back", the latest of several cancelled appearances that have added to fears about her health.</p>.<p>But she welcomed chief of defence staff Nick Carter at her Windsor Castle residence west of London to mark his departure from the role.</p>.<p>Carter was in full ceremonial uniform chatting to the queen, who was wearing a green, orange and white floral dress in the castle's Oak Room and standing unaided, weeks after she had been seen using a walking stick.</p>.<p>Video footage showed Carter being greeted by the monarch's dachshund-corgi cross, Candy, who lay on the red-carpeted floor by the door as they spoke.</p>.<p>It was the first time the queen had been seen carrying out an in-person engagement since hosting a reception at Windsor for global investors on October 19.</p>.<p>The following day Buckingham Palace announced she had pulled out of a planned two-day trip to Northern Ireland and had been advised to rest on medical grounds.</p>.<p>But within 24 hours, royal officials were forced to confirm a newspaper report that she had spent the night at a private hospital in central London after unspecified tests.</p>.<p>Aides insisted the overnight stay was for "practical reasons" and she had resumed "light duties", including holding video calls with incoming ambassadors.</p>.<p>Speculation about her health was fuelled on October 26, however, when she withdrew from a planned appearance at the UN climate change summit this month.</p>.<p>Again, it followed "advice to rest" from doctors and instead sent a video message to world leaders, urging them to take collective action to halt runaway global warming.</p>.<p>Her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, 73, attended the event in her absence and is currently representing her on an overseas visit to Jordan and Egypt.</p>.<p>Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson has sought to reassure the public about the queen's health.</p>.<p>On Sunday, he said he had an audience with her, but without cameras, last Wednesday, telling reporters: "She was very well."</p>.<p>Palace officials have blamed the queen's hectic schedule since she returned from her annual summer holiday to her Balmoral estate in northeast Scotland.</p>.<p>She has kept up her public engagements since the death of her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, in April, including hosting G7 leaders at a summit in Cornwall in June.</p>.<p><strong>Watch latest videos by DH here:</strong></p>
<p>Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday held a face-to-face audience with Britain's highest-ranking military officer, almost a month after her last public appearance.</p>.<p>The 95-year-old monarch withdrew from an annual event remembering Britain's war dead on Sunday with a "sprained back", the latest of several cancelled appearances that have added to fears about her health.</p>.<p>But she welcomed chief of defence staff Nick Carter at her Windsor Castle residence west of London to mark his departure from the role.</p>.<p>Carter was in full ceremonial uniform chatting to the queen, who was wearing a green, orange and white floral dress in the castle's Oak Room and standing unaided, weeks after she had been seen using a walking stick.</p>.<p>Video footage showed Carter being greeted by the monarch's dachshund-corgi cross, Candy, who lay on the red-carpeted floor by the door as they spoke.</p>.<p>It was the first time the queen had been seen carrying out an in-person engagement since hosting a reception at Windsor for global investors on October 19.</p>.<p>The following day Buckingham Palace announced she had pulled out of a planned two-day trip to Northern Ireland and had been advised to rest on medical grounds.</p>.<p>But within 24 hours, royal officials were forced to confirm a newspaper report that she had spent the night at a private hospital in central London after unspecified tests.</p>.<p>Aides insisted the overnight stay was for "practical reasons" and she had resumed "light duties", including holding video calls with incoming ambassadors.</p>.<p>Speculation about her health was fuelled on October 26, however, when she withdrew from a planned appearance at the UN climate change summit this month.</p>.<p>Again, it followed "advice to rest" from doctors and instead sent a video message to world leaders, urging them to take collective action to halt runaway global warming.</p>.<p>Her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, 73, attended the event in her absence and is currently representing her on an overseas visit to Jordan and Egypt.</p>.<p>Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson has sought to reassure the public about the queen's health.</p>.<p>On Sunday, he said he had an audience with her, but without cameras, last Wednesday, telling reporters: "She was very well."</p>.<p>Palace officials have blamed the queen's hectic schedule since she returned from her annual summer holiday to her Balmoral estate in northeast Scotland.</p>.<p>She has kept up her public engagements since the death of her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, in April, including hosting G7 leaders at a summit in Cornwall in June.</p>.<p><strong>Watch latest videos by DH here:</strong></p>