Queen Elizabeth II waits before receiving newly elected Conservative leader Liz Truss at Balmoral Castle on September 6, 2022 in Aberdeen, Scotland.
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LONDON – Following the announcement earlier the same day that doctors were concerned about the well-being of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace on Thursday said she had passed away. She is 96 years old.
The palace said the King and Queen – Prince Charles, Duke of Cornwall, and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall – will stay at Balmoral Castle, the queen’s royal residence in Scotland, this evening. and will return to London on Friday. .
Family members were immediately notified and went to Balmoral.
“Following further assessment this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned about the Queen’s health and have recommended that she continue to be under medical supervision,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. that same day.
The queen’s three other children, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, as well as her grandson Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, were also at the palace.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is on his way. His wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was not traveling with him but will likely join Harry to Scotland at a later date, according to a spokesperson.
Princess Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, was staying at Windsor as Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were spending their first day at their new school, Kensington Palace said.
Britain’s longest reigning monarch
The Queen, who is Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, is said to have been declining in health over the past few months, with doctors citing “intermittent movement problems”.
She spent a night in the hospital last October and was forced cut down on her public interactions since then. She has been on holiday at her Scottish estate since the end of July.
On Tuesday, the queen broke with tradition and appointed her 15th prime minister from Balmoral instead of traveling to Buckingham Palace, as is typical. She was also forced to cancel a planned virtual meeting with senior ministers after being advised by doctors to take a break.
Britain’s new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, who met the queen on Tuesday, said her thoughts were with her and her family.
“My thoughts – and those of people across our UK – are with the Queen and her family at this time,” she said.
The BBC, the UK’s national broadcaster, suspended all regular programming until 6pm local time, following the news.
Keir Starmer, leader of Britain’s opposition Labor Party, said he was deeply concerned by the news.
“Together with the rest of the country, I am deeply disturbed by the news from Buckingham Palace this afternoon,” he said in a statement.
Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said she was “deeply concerned” and Wales’ First Minister, Mark Drakeford, sent his best wishes on behalf of the Welsh people.
News of the queen’s ill health comes as members of Parliament are gathering in the House of Commons to hear details of the government’s plans helping households and businesses with rising energy costs.
Cabinet Minister Nadhim Zahawi was seen entering the room during the meeting and speaking urgently with Truss. Notes on the evolving situation were also passed on to the Commons speaker and Labor leadership.
Elizabeth has been queen of England and more than a dozen other countries since 1952, when she ascended the throne at the age of 25.
Her reign has seen 15 prime ministers, from Sir Winston Churchill to Liz Truss, and 14 US presidents.
Earlier this year, she marked her 70th year on the throne with a series of four-day Platinum Jubilee celebrations. The Queen has only been to Buckingham Palace twice during that time, first to appear on the balcony of Trooping the Color and then for the finale after the competition.
Her husband, Philip, the longest serving royal in history, died last year at the age of 99.
