The Buckingham Palace press office rarely comments on the health of the British Queen, so the impact was correspondingly large Message, which the palace released early Thursday afternoon. The statement was only two sentences long: After “further examinations” in the morning, the Queen’s doctors were “concerned about her state of health” and recommended that she remain under medical supervision. Elizabeth II stays in Balmoral. Prime Minister Liz Truss and opposition leader Keir Starmer were slipped notes with the announcement during the ongoing debate in the House of Commons, shortly afterwards the speaker of the House of Commons interrupted the session to inform all MPs.
The British monarch has been at Balmoral Castle, the summer residence of the royal family in Scotland, for several weeks. Most recently, it was always said that she had “mobility problems”, which is why she did not change her prime minister in London on Tuesday for the first time in her 70-year reign. She appointed Liz Truss, her 15th Prime Minister and the successor to the resigned Boris Johnson, in the Balmoral drawing room. It was the first time since 1908 that a British Prime Minister was not appointed at Buckingham Palace.
Mobility issues are not uncommon for the 96-year-old, but her health condition now appears serious, according to her family’s reaction. Heir to the throne Charles and his wife Camilla immediately made their way to Scotland, and Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Princess Anne and Charles’ sons William and Harry also traveled to Aberdeen. Harry actually lives in the USA with his wife Meghan, but is currently in Europe anyway: he was just in Düsseldorf, the location of the Invictus Games he initiated, which will take place in Germany in 2023.
The BBC responded by interrupting its program for several hours, alternating between showing Aberdeen Airport, the gates to Balmoral Castle and Buckingham Palace, where a few people gathered despite the late afternoon rain. The presenters wore black ties.
In the event that the unthinkable for many Britons occurs, there has been a detailed plan for years, after all, the Queen is the British head of state. It’s called Operation London Bridge. All important members of the royal family have code names after bridges for such cases, Charles’ code name is “Menai Bridge”, after a bridge in Wales, Charles is the “Prince of Wales”. In the event that the Queen should die in Scotland, there is also “Operation Unicorn”, which stipulates, among other things, when and how her body should be brought to London. All the details are not yet known, but some things became public years ago, for example that transport by train is planned.
The first person outside the royal family to be notified is Edward Young, her private secretary. Young is briefing the government ahead of the news being released worldwide by the Press Association (PA). A corresponding plaque will also be installed at Buckingham Palace.
Queen Elizabeth II is the world’s second-longest reigning monarch in history. Only Louis XIV reigned longer in France in the 17th century.