World

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

British police officers stand guard outside the King Edward VII hospital in London where Queen Elizabeth II has admitted to be assessed for symptoms of gastroenteritis, Sunday, March 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was hospitalized Sunday over an apparent stomach infection that has ailed her for days, a rare instance of ill health sidelining the long-reigning monarch. Elizabeth will have to cancel a visit to Rome and other engagements as she recovers, and outside experts said she may have to be rehydrated intravenously.

Buckingham Palace said the 86-year-old queen had experienced symptoms of gastroenteritis and was being examined at London's King Edward VII Hospital, the first time in a decade that Elizabeth has been hospitalized.

"As a precaution, all official engagements for this week will regrettably be either postponed or cancelled," the palace said in a statement. Elizabeth's two-day trip to Rome had been planned to start Wednesday. A spokeswoman said the trip may be "reinstated" at a later date.

The symptoms of gastroenteritis, vomiting and diarrhea, usually pass after one or two days, although they can be more severe in older or otherwise vulnerable people. Dehydration is a common complication.