Concern gripped the United Kingdom on Thursday: Queen Elizabeth II’s doctors say they are “concerned” about her state of health, while her family gathers at Balmoral Castle in Scotland where she is. Doctors “recommended that she be placed under medical supervision,” Buckingham Palace said.
The 96-year-old monarch, with record longevity and immense popularity, whose UK celebrated 70 years of reign in June, has seen her health deteriorate since a night in hospital nearly a year ago. a year, for reasons never specified. She now appeared only rarely in public, her services evoking episodic mobility problems, and delegated more and more duties to her direct heirs, Charles and William. “Following a further assessment this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended that she remain under medical supervision. The Queen continues to feel well and remains at Balmoral,” the palace said, usually discreet on the health of Sovereign, in a brief press release.
His heir Charles, 73, arrived with his wife Camilla at Balmoral, where the Queen spends the end of summer every year, along with her daughter Anne. Her two other children, Princes Andrew and Edward were on their way by early afternoon. His grandson William, second in the order of succession, was also expected on site. His brother Harry, with his wife Meghan Markle, who live in California but were due to attend a ceremony in London on Thursday evening, headed to Scotland.
In her last public appearance, the Queen formalized the appointment of Liz Truss as Prime Minister on Tuesday, her 15th head of government in her 70-year reign. She had decided to stay at Balmoral instead of returning to London, where the transition between prime ministers usually takes place, due to her health problems. Footage released by the palace showed the sovereign smiling and leaning on a cane, shaking hands with the new ruler.
“The entire country will be deeply concerned by the news coming out of Buckingham Palace,” tweeted Liz Truss. “My thoughts — and those of everyone in the UK — are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family.” The head of government was speaking in Parliament before the palace reported on the deterioration of the sovereign’s state of health. She left the House of Commons after being quietly briefed by a minister, while Opposition Leader Keir Starmer received a written note. At Buckingham Palace in London, a sign was put out to inform tourists that the Changing of the Guard would not take place.
On Wednesday evening, the palace announced that the queen had postponed an online meeting, her doctors having advised her to rest, another cancellation of a long series for a year. In May, Charles had delivered in his place for the first time the speech from the throne in Parliament, one of his essential constitutional functions. In early June, the British had celebrated for four days the 70 years of reign of Elizabeth II, who is the oldest monarch in the world in office. She remained almost absent from this platinum jubilee, showing herself only twice briefly on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in front of tens of thousands of people.
Elizabeth II has been a widow since the death of her husband Philip in April, shortly before her 100th birthday. The decline of the health of the queen, who came to the throne on February 6, 1952, at the age of 25, after the death of her father George VI, has revived questions about the future of the monarchy. The institution has been rocked by a series of scandals in recent months: accusations of sexual assault in the United States against her son Andrew, who ended it by paying millions of dollars, as well as allegations of racism targeting the family royal, from his grandson Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, now settled in California and cold with the rest of the family.
The post-Elizabeth II period promises to be more complicated with Charles, whose popularity is much lower. The British prefer Prince William and his wife Kate to him.