Queen Elizabeth ‘under medical supervision’ as royal family rushes to Balmoral
The Queen’s doctors are so concerned about Her Majesty’s health she remains under medical supervision, Buckingham Palace has announced in a highly unusual update.
The Queen’s doctors are so concerned about Her Majesty’s health she remains under medical supervision, Buckingham Palace has announced.
In a highly unusual update about the Queen’s health, Buckingham Palace announced at lunchtime on Thursday: “Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”
“The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral,” the palace added.
All her children – heir to the throne Prince Charles, 73, Princess Anne, 72, Prince Andrew, 62, and Prince Edward, 58 – were either at or heading to Balmoral, royal officials said.
Her grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry, were also travelling to Scotland. However the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex did not join their husbands, according to the BBC.
A statement from Buckingham Palace:https://t.co/2x2oD289nL
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022
The Sussexes, who were on a short visit to Europe, had been due to attend an awards ceremony in London on Friday (AEST) but changed their plans to travel to see the queen, Britain’s domestic Press Association news agency said.
A private jet carrying Prince William, Prience, Andrew, Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie, arrived in Aberdeen shortly before 1am (AEST) before the royals left the airport in a fleet of Range Rovers.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss broke away from debate on a crucial energy announcement in the House of Commons to tweet: “The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime. My thoughts – and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom – are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time.”
The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime.
— Liz Truss (@trussliz) September 8, 2022
My thoughts - and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom - are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time.
The Queen had carved out constitutional duties by meeting the outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson and then anointing Ms Truss on Tuesday, but was so exhausted by the day she cancelled a zoom call with the Privy Council on Wednesday.
First signs of concern
The first sign that all was not well with the 96 year old Queen was that a helicopter landed in Balmoral Castle on Thursday morning but left without its passenger, Prince Charles.
Seventy year old Charles, the first in line to the throne, had left Dumfries House in Ayrshire where he was hosting a two day global symposium on allergies, organised by the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, to travel back to Balmoral and see his ailing mother.
At the same time Princess Anne, who was also in Scotland carrying out royal duties, also arrived at Balmoral to be beside her mother.
In recent weeks the Queen had been spotted out and about on the Balmoral Estate visiting the fishing hut favoured by the Queen Mother, and walking slowly with her stick, with corgis running about. But just days ago she missed one of her annual highlights the Braemar Highland Games for the first time in her 70 year reign, adding to a growing list of cancelled engagements ranging from the opening of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, COP 26 and the Remembrance Sunday Cenotaph service, after dealing with episodic mobility issues which the public was told about last October.
But when the Queen cancelled a zoom call on Wednesday with the Privy Council, so fatigued by Tuesday’s activities of greeting outgoing Boris Johnson to accept his resignation and then anoint her 15th prime minister Liz Truss, there were hopes that the Queen could rally after some rest.
It is believed Aberdeen doctors who regularly attend to the Queen when she is in Balmoral for her summer break, had been overseeing the Queen’s big day on Tuesday in consultation with her chief medical doctor Professor Sir Huw Thomas.
Professor Thomas and other doctors attended to the Queen on Thursday morning.
At 12.27 in the House of Commons the party leaders appeared to be receiving secret briefings.
In Westminster Ms Truss had just delivered her plans to address the catastrophic energy crisis enveloping the nation when the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Nadhim Zahawi, came into the Chamber and began whispering to her while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was responding.
Labour deputy Angela Rayner was also handed a note which she passed to Sir Keir.
At 12.30pm Buckingham Palace had issued a highly irregular statement to the media saying: “Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision.The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”
Minutes after Ms Truss and Sir Keir tweeted their worries and the nation was immediately deeply concerned. There was a feeling that this was a highly significant moment in history.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle interrupted the speech of SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford saying: “I know I speak on behalf of the entire House when I say that we send our best wishes to Her Majesty the Queen and that she and the royal family are in our thoughts and prayers at this moment.”
Within minutes newsreaders had switched to black dresses, jackets and ties.
At 12.40 the BBC pulled its scheduled programming and reverted to rolling news on the Queen’s health.
The second in line to the throne, Prince William abandoned plans to pick up his three children from their first full day at their new school, Lambrook, leaving the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate to do the school run, and he headed to RAF Northolt in South Ruislip, west London.
There he met up with Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, and the four flew to Aberdeen on a Royal Air Force jet at 2.39pm, arriving at Balmoral at 4.37pm.
Prince Harry, who with wife Meghan Markle happened to be in the United Kingdom to attend the WellChild Awards in London, cancelled their charity appearance.
While their spokesperson initially said both Harry and Meghan would travel to Balmoral, by 4.30pm, it was announced that only Harry was making his way to Scotland while Meghan remained in London.
Politicians send thoughts and prayers
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have been spending a lot of time with the Queen in recent weeks, but on Thursday lunchtime the Duke of Cambridge, who had sent off his three children to their new school for the first school day, also travelled from Windsor to Balmoral.
The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, told MPs: “I know I speak on behalf of entire half when we send all best wishes to Her Majesty the Queen and she and the royal family are in our thoughts and prayers at this moment.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer tweeted: “Along with the rest of the country, I am deeply worried by the news from Buckingham Palace this afternoon. My thoughts are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time, and I join everyone across the United Kingdom in hoping for her recovery.”
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the highest-ranking cleric in the Church of England that the queen heads, said the queen was in his prayers.
“May God’s presence strengthen and comfort Her Majesty, her family, and those who are caring for her at Balmoral,” he tweeted.
Along with the rest of the country, I am deeply worried by the news from Buckingham Palace this afternoon.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) September 8, 2022
My thoughts are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time, and I join everyone across the United Kingdom in hoping for her recovery.
In photographs taken at Balmoral Castle on Tuesday – the first time the public has seen the Queen since the Platinum Jubilee celebrations – she appeared frail, but she still lit up the room with a beaming smile:her trademark handbag on her arm, and leaning on a walking stick.
The Queen abandoned plans to return to London for the changeover of prime ministers because of mobility problems.
While she was seen in Balmoral Castle’s drawing room on Tuesday, with its paintings by Sir Edwin Landseer of a stag hunt and one of Queen Victoria mourning Prince Albert, the Queen has been spending most of the northern summer at nearby Craigowen Lodge.
A lift had been installed in the Lodge, which is a more comfortable seven bedroom house on the Balmoral Estate, for the Queen earlier this year, and it is believed this is where the Queen is currently resting under medical supervision.
The palace statement about the queen’s health is highly unusual. “The palace does not issue bulletins on the queen’s health unless it’s significant,” royal commentator and author Robert Hardman told the BBC.
It comes after she has looked visibly frailer in recent months, and a succession of withdrawals from public engagements.
She has taken to walking with the help of a stick and was also seen earlier this year at the Chelsea Flower Show touring the site in a motorised buggy.
We join with Anglicans around the world in praying for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and her family.
— Anglican Communion (@AnglicanWorld) September 8, 2022
We pray for God’s presence to strengthen and support The Queen, the Royal Family, and those who are caring for Her Majesty. https://t.co/hpt3mbGZk0pic.twitter.com/FvGA1V0dd9
In February she was laid low by a bout of Covid, which she admitted afterwards had left her “exhausted”.
Officially, the palace has said only that the queen has been suffering from “episodic mobility problems” but given no further details.
She spent an unscheduled night in hospital in central London in October 2021 and was advised to slow down.
She has pulled out of ceremonial engagements, delegating more to Charles, including the State Opening of Parliament and the Trooping the Colour military parade to mark her official birthday.
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