By Harsha Josephine Antony | On Thu 8 Sept 2022 | 10.00 pm IST |
Photo credit: AP Photo
As members of the royal family travelled to Scotland to be by the 96-year-old monarch’s bedside, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday that Queen Elizabeth II had been admitted to the hospital for treatment because physicians are “concerned for Her Majesty’s health.”
Buckingham Palace announced Thursday that Queen Elizabeth II had been placed under medical care because doctors are “concerned for Her Majesty’s health,” as members of the royal family made their way to Scotland to be by the 96-year-old monarch’s bedside. The announcement by the royal residence comes the day after the queen postponed a virtual meeting of her Privy Council because her doctors told her to rest after a long day of activities on Tuesday when Queen Elizabeth II formally asked Liz Truss to lead Britain as prime minister. According to normal protocol, a palace spokeswoman who spoke on the record under the condition of anonymity expressed worry for the health of Queen Elizabeth II Majesty following additional evaluation this morning and advised that Queen Elizabeth II continue under medical monitoring. The Queen is still at Balmoral and in good health.
Queen Elizabeth II’s condition was not disclosed by the palace, but there were other alarming indications, including Truss’ interruption of her on the House of Commons floor to mention it and family members’ cancellation of engagements they had made to visit the Highlands for a long time. Queen Elizabeth II was staying at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, the home of the future heir to the throne, Prince Charles, his wife Camilla, and his sister Princess Anne. Along with Prince Andrew, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and Prince William, Charles’ eldest son, they were all travelling to Balmoral.
Three months have passed since Brits throughout paused during a long weekend to commemorate the queen’s 70 years as head of state. This is the first gathering of the House of Windsor. Throughout the four days of celebrations, there were large groups of admirers yelling and waving flags in the streets outside Buckingham Palace, but the queen herself only made two quick appearances to wave to her people from the balcony.
Queen Elizabeth II has progressively delegated responsibilities to Charles and other royal family members in recent months as she recovered from a COVID-19 infection, started using a cane, and found it difficult to move around. The news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime will greatly disturb the entire nation, Truss wrote on Twitter. “At this time, Her Majesty The Queen and her family are in my thoughts, as are the thoughts of people all around our United Kingdom.”
Political leaders of all stripes have also expressed their worry, and Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has remarked that Elizabeth is in the “prayers of the nation.” Since taking the throne following her father’s death on February 6, 1952, Elizabeth has served as a symbol of stability while Britain navigated the end of the empire, the advent of the information age, and the huge migration that turned the nation into a multicultural society. The queen has maintained a relationship with the people throughout it all by making what seems like an interminable number of public visits to launch libraries, dedicate hospitals, and bestow honours on deserving residents.
Queen Elizabeth II continued to work hard even as her reign came to an end. However, the passing of Prince Philip, the queen’s husband of more than 70 years, in April of last year served as a stark reminder to the nation that the queen’s reign, which the majority of her people have only ever known, is a temporary one. That fact served as the undercurrent of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, which included images of Elizabeth as she transitioned from a dazzling young queen wearing a crown and diamonds to a sort of global grandma renowned for her ubiquitous handbag and passion for horses and corgis.Â
Charles was the centre of attention throughout the festivities as he assumed his mother’s role and showed that he was prepared to assume her mantle. On the first day of the jubilee, he reviewed the troops while participating in the Queen’s Birthday Parade while donning a ceremonial scarlet tunic and bearskin headgear. He sat in the front of the church for a service of gratitude in honour of the queen the following day as the last visitor to enter St. Paul’s Cathedral. He gave the keynote message at a star-studded performance in front of Buckingham Palace in honour of the woman he referred to as “Your Majesty, Mummy.”
The queen made only a few brief public appearances during the Jubilee, but they served as a symbol of the three pillars of her rule: a close relationship with the people, close ties to the armed forces, and support for the Commonwealth, a group of 54 countries that were once British colonies. On the event’s final day, Elizabeth stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with other senior royals to watch a flyover by 70 military aircraft and wave to spectators lining the street below. She later participated in a beacon lighting ceremony at Windsor Palace, which marked the conclusion of activities that took place around the Commonwealth.
