See I understand that you all are saying she shouldnt have done so/she cant do so/they should have told why she did so/this is bad PR/this will lead to calls for abdication etc etc etc..
I also agree that this is a bit "stunning" since we all have taken for granted that she is always there to act the same way she has done her entire life..
But if she is losing the physical stamina to stand/bend to collect flowers for a while, or the patience to do so, then we simply cant help.
Here are some suggestions some posters made to "help" the situation..
1.If she cant perform on account of age, she should delegate her duties to others
Oh..so they mean another discussion on abdication? Or they mean that Charles should stand by to collect flowers?
And FYI..Princess Anne received flowers on behalf of HM on Christmas. This was so clearly reported by the even utterly stupid DM..So whats the problem..
2.If she didnt receive due to any problems, they should let us know..
So the day after Christams, the BP will issue a statement saying "HM could not receive flowers from Master XYZ who came from 50-miles, as she has to use the loo urgently..or as she was feeling unwell..or as she got cranky..and we deeply regret this..
3. They should forewarn people not to bring flowers
They never asked anyone to bring flowers. And this is not about the Queen at all. It is the entire BRF. You can give to any lady you please.
This is simply not a big deal.
PS: Even I am disappointed by seeing her stop taking flowers.
But then, things change in life, at some stage, for some reason. We just cant condemn that.
We have to remember that not every change will have to be made with an Act of Parliament/Letters Patent/whatever. Some changes are sudden and some subtle. Just move on..