Queen Elizabeth II will reportedly appoint the next U.K. prime minister at Balmoral Castle in Scotland instead of Buckingham Palace in London due to ongoing health concerns. This would be the first time the appointment ceremony will happen outside London or Windsor during the 96-year-old monarch’s reign. The ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 6 and will see either Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss become Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s successor.
The Queen is now at her Scotland estate for her summer holiday and is no longer expected to travel back to London to officially appoint the next prime minister, sources told The Sun on Thursday. Plans are underway to have the ceremony at Balmoral because of her mobility issues. Her doctors have reportedly advised her not to travel.
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A final decision is expected next week so Johnson and Truss or Sunak can be notified. “The Queen has now been advised not to travel,” a source told The Sun. “But obviously no one tells the Queen what to do and ultimately it is her decision, and as we saw when she made a third appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony at the Jubilee she likes surprises.”
While Prince Charles has taken on more official duties, even helping open a session of Parliament, the Queen still wants to oversee the transfer of power from one PM to the next herself. “There are some parts of her role that Prince Charles can do on her behalf but the Queen is adamant that she appoints the Prime Minister,” The Sun‘s source said. “It may not be the best choice to make the Queen travel 1,000 miles there and back for a 48-hour visit when the Prime Ministers can easily get to Balmoral instead.”
Queen Elizabeth has reportedly been at the Scotland castle since last month for a 10-week holiday. She wanted to travel back to London for the constitutional ceremony after a new prime minister is named. The first PM she appointed was Winston Churchill in 1952. Since then, every prime minister has met the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
Since the Queen arrived at Balmoral on July 22, members of the royal family have visited her. Prince Andrew, who has been barred from royal duties due to his sex abuse scandal, was reportedly there first for “intense talks” with his mother. Prince Charles and Camilla are at their Birkhall home, near Balmoral. Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their children also visited.
Johnson announced plans to resign in July following a series of scandals. Truss or Sunak will be named the next PM and Tory leader on Sept. 5. The next day, Johnson will give Queen Elizabeth his letter of resignation so his replacement can be appointed. Sunak or Truss will be the 15th prime minister during Queen Elizabeth’s reign.
