Queen Elizabeth leaves hospital after stomach bug

           
Queen Elizabeth II left the London hospital where she'd been treated for the symptoms of a stomach infection Monday, following a brief and rare hospitalization for the 86-year-old head of state.                   

A smiling Elizabeth walked unassisted out of King Edward VII Hospital Monday afternoon before saying goodbye to staff. She was then driven away in a motorcade.                       

"The queen has left the King Edward VII's Hospital having been admitted briefly as part of the assessment of symptoms of gastroenteritis," the palace said in a brief statement issued after her release.                            

The queen has canceled engagements for this week due to the illness. Norovirus infections are only very rarely dangerous, and doctors who weren't involved with Elizabeth's treatment believe she may have been hospitalized as a precaution.                       

It was the monarch's first hospitalization in 10 years, but it set off few alarm bells in Britain, where she is seen as being in excellent health. Although not as physically active as she used to be having reluctantly given up horse riding, one of her favorite hobbies, and cut down on taxing overseas trips the queen still maintains a demanding schedule.


AP