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Queen Elizabeth II was hospitalized on Sunday, March 3. Buckingham Palace spokesperson said that the queen experienced symptoms of gastroenteritis and was being examined at London's King Edward VII Hospital.

"As a precaution, all official engagements for this week will regrettably be either postponed or canceled," the palace said in a statement. The canceled official engagements include a two-day visit to Rome which was scheduled to start this Wednesday.

The queen skipped a military parade on Friday, March 1 in the Welsh city of Swansea because of the illness. She spent Saturday resting at Windsor Castle, 25 miles from central London, and on Sunday, she was taken to the hospital.

The 86-year-old queen was said to be in good spirits and good health and she was expected to be in the hospital for two days. This was the first time in a decade the queen was admitted to a hospital as she was last hospitalized to have a keyhole surgery on her knees in 2003.

Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining and intestines. The common causes are food poisoning and the norovirus, a winter vomiting bug which has been widespread in Britain. The norovirus is very infectious and in winter, when people are indoors, it spreads more easily. The symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and stomachache.