LONDON — Fears for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II grew on Thursday after Buckingham Palace said her doctors were “concerned” about her health and advised her to remain under medical supervision.
The 96-year-old head of state – Britain’s longest-serving monarch – has been plagued with health issues that have prevented her from walking and standing since last October.
On Wednesday, Queen Elizabeth II pulled out of a scheduled meeting with her top political advisers after being told to rest.
The day before, she held audiences with outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson during his Scottish Highlands retreat at Balmoral and named his successor, Liz Truss.
“Following further examinations this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended that she remains under medical supervision,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
“The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral,” the palace added.
The Palace’s statement on the Queen’s health is highly unusual and comes after she appeared visibly frail and suffered a series of withdrawals from public engagements in recent months.
She started walking with the help of a cane and was also spotted at the Chelsea Flower Show earlier this year traveling around in a motorized buggy.
In February, she was struck down by a bout of COVID-19, which she later admitted was “exhausted”.
‘DEEPLY CONCERNED’
Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest son and heir apparent Prince Charles, 73, and eldest son Prince William, 40, were on their way to Scotland, according to their offices at Clarence House and Kensington Palace.
Officially, the palace only said the queen suffered from “episodic mobility problems”, but did not give further details.
She spent an unscheduled night in central London hospital in October 2021 and was advised to slow down.
Shortly before Thursday’s announcement, Truss and key members of his team received memos in parliament urging them to leave the chamber.
Truss tweeted almost immediately afterwards: ‘The whole country will be deeply concerned about the news from Buckingham Palace this afternoon,’ she added.
“My thoughts – and the thoughts of the people of our United Kingdom – are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time.”
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the oldest Church of England cleric to preside over the Queen, said Queen Elizabeth II was in his prayers.
“May the presence of God strengthen and comfort Her Majesty, her family and those who care for her at Balmoral,” he tweeted.
The Queen is in her Platinum Jubilee year, the 70th anniversary since succeeding her father, King George VI, in 1952.
Public events took place over four days in an attempt to break the record, but she only performed twice to appreciate the huge crowds in central London.
- Editor/ additional report by AFP
