Queen Elizabeth II in ill-health: Why latest news is cause for concern

The latest news about the health of Queen Elizabeth II isn’t good.

Just hours after Buckingham Palace issued a rare statement saying doctors are concerned about the Queen’s health, her closest family are rushing to join the 96-year-old monarch, causing alarm from British political and religious leaders.

Britain’s longest-serving monarch has been dogged by health problems since last October that have left her struggling to walk and stand.

The queen – an instantly recognisable figure to billions of people across the world – is in her Platinum Jubilee year, marking 70 years since she succeeded her father king George VI in 1952.

Let’s take a look at all the latest developments:

Queen’s family speeds to her side

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 join her at the Balmoral royal estate in Scotland, aides said.

The Queen always travels to the Balmoral Castle in Scotland for the summer, according to CNN’s Max Foster.

As per BBC, Prince Charles, Camilla and Princess Anne are at Balmoral.

Also on the way are Charles’s elder son Prince William along with his younger son Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, who have been on a rare visit to Britain after abandoning royal life to move to the United States.

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, has remained in Windsor as her children are on their first full day at their new school, as per BBC.

Meanwhile, a plane carrying seven members of the Royal Family has landed at Aberdeen airport though it remains unclear who is on the flight from RAF Northolt.

Aberdeen airport is about an hour’s drive from Balmoral Castle.

Rare bulletin

On Wednesday, a day after Truss’s appointment as the 15th prime minister of her reign, the queen pulled out of a planned meeting with her council of political advisers, after being told to rest

“Following further evaluation this morning, the queen’s doctors are concerned for her majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

“The queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral,” the palace added.

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.

Meanwhile, outside the palace, some tourists are in tears.

Sue and Andy Alderman from Somerset, speaking to BBC, said they decided to head to Buckingham Palace when they heard the announcement that the Queen was unwell.

They added that they were stunned by the news but that they thought the Queen had been looking frail since the death of the Duke of Edinburgh.

They hoped there would be better news about her health, as per the report.

Politicos, priests offer care and concern

Moments before Thursday’s announcement, notes were passed in the House of Commons to Prime Minister Liz Truss, her ministers and Opposition leaders, prompting them to leave the chamber.

“The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime,” the new premier tweeted, just two days after the queen appointed her at Balmoral to succeed Boris Johnson.

“My thoughts – and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom – are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time,” Truss added, echoed by leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the highest-ranking cleric in the Church of England headed by the queen, said she 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 in comments echoed by other faith leaders.

One photograph of the queen greeting Truss at Balmoral on Tuesday had already sparked alarm, showing a deep purple bruise on the monarch’s right hand.

This comes after the Queen 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.

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.

Global figure

Four days of public events were held in June to mark the queen’s record-breaking Platinum Jubilee, but she made only two appearances to acknowledge the huge crowds in central London.

As well as the United Kingdom, the queen is also head of state in 14 Commonwealth countries around the world, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

She further heads the Commonwealth grouping, which comprises 56 nations and takes in more than a quarter of humanity.

For most of her subjects, she is the only monarch they have ever known, featuring on stamps, banknotes and coins, and immortalised in popular culture.

But Britons were forced to face up to the reality that her reign in her twilight years, when her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, died in April 2021, just weeks shy of his 100th birthday.

“She is just part of our lives… She’s been the queen for all our lives really. She’s so calm and measured,” said Maureen Barnett, 66, outside Buckingham Palace as news filtered through.

“I’ve been concerned since yesterday when I heard she couldn’t do the Privy Council meeting,” added Elizabeth Jackson, also 66.

“I was hoping the Scottish air might do her good. The issues have accelerated this year. It is quite worrying.”

In recent years, the queen has been forced to face a succession of scandals involving senior royals, including her second son Prince Andrew for links to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Harry and Meghan also rocked the palace by quitting royal life, and criticising the institution, even accusing it of racism.

Queen Elizabeth II has been dogged by health problems since spending a night in hospital last October.

Year of ill-health

The 96-year-old monarch has since cancelled a series of public engagements on medical advice.

October 2021 The queen is seen using walking stick at Westminster Abbey service on 12 October, the first time she has done so at a major public event.

She pulls out of two-day trip to Northern Ireland, advised to rest on medical grounds, Buckingham Palace announces on 20 October.

The next day the Palace said the queen has attended a private London hospital for “preliminary investigations” and stayed in overnight.

On 26 October, the Palace says she has resumed “light duties”.

November 2021 -The queen is seen driving a car at her Windsor Castle home west of London on 1 November.

But she pulls out of UN climate change summit in Glasgow, Scotland on doctors’ “advice to rest” and misses annual Remembrance Sunday event on 14 November due to “sprained back”.

20 February, 2022 - The queen tests positive for Covid-19 after resuming in-person audiences at Windsor Castle. Buckingham Palace says she has “mild, cold-like symptoms”.

She is later overheard saying: “It does leave one very tired and exhausted, doesn’t it?”

March 2022 - The queen pulls out of Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey.

But she attends March 29 memorial service there for her late husband Prince Philip, who died last year aged 99.

April 2022 - The queen misses the traditional Maundy Thursday religious service.

May 2022 - The queen misses the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament on May 10 due to “episodic mobility problems” – only the third time she has done so since 1952.

Her heir Prince Charles takes on her role.

June 2022 - The queen misses significant Platinum Jubilee events for her 70th year on the throne, including a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 3, making only two public appearances.

She also misses the flat-racing event The Derby at Epsom on 4 June.

September, 2022 - The queen misses the traditional Braemar Gathering Highland Games event near Balmoral on the first weekend of September.

She formally appoints Liz Truss as the 15th prime minister of her reign on 6 September and is photographed standing up to shake her hand.

She carries out the ceremony at Balmoral in Scotland for the first time, instead of Buckingham Palace.

On 7 September, she pulls out of a planned meeting with senior political advisers after being told to rest.

On 8 September, Buckingham Palace issues a highly unusual bulletin on the monarch’s health stating that doctors are concerned and have recommended she “remain under medical supervision”.

The statement adds that “the queen remains comfortable at Balmoral”.

With inputs from agencies

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