Prince Charles with son Harry at last year's event

She said: "It is entirely up to her whether she attends or not, but the doctors told her to rest.

"The approach to where the Royal Family watch the event is also quite steep and would logistically it would have been quite difficult for her to get there.

"There was always a question mark over whether she would attend once she went into hospital and she has decided to rest at home instead."

The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, Prince William and the Countess of Wessex - for the first time - all attended the event.

In 1999 the Queen Mother missed her first Braemar Gathering in 20 years after suffering a bout of flu.

The event is the traditional grand finale of the Highland Games circuit, but for many people the greatest attraction is the arrival of the Royal party from nearby Balmoral.

The Royal Family has attended the Braemar Gathering since 1848.

But the event has had competition over recent years from the Lonach Gathering, which attracts celebrities such as Billy Connolly, Robin Williams, Steve Martin and Ewan MacGregor.

Last week it attracted a record attendance of 13,000.

Police warned the 20,000 attending the games to allow extra time for their journey because of the expected traffic congestion.