Queen Elizabeth II’s doctors are “concerned” for her health and recommended she “remain under medical supervision”, the Buckingham Palace said on Thursday.
Queen Elizabeth II has been facing health problems since October last year that left her with difficulties walking and standing.
The announcement comes a day after the 96-year-old monarch cancelled a meeting of her Privy Council.
The palace said that the queen is “comfortable” and remains at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she has spent the summer.
The palace statement about the queen’s health is highly unusual, AFP reported, adding that moments before the palace’s announcement, notes were passed to Prime Minister Liz Truss and senior members of her team in parliament, prompting them to leave the chamber.
Soon after the announcement, British Prime Minister Liz Truss said “the whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime.”
“My thoughts — and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom — are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time,” she wrote on Twitter.
Liz Truss had met the Queen on Tuesday at the Balmoral estate in Scotland when she was appointed Britain’s prime minister.
Heir to the throne Prince Charles, 73, and his eldest son, Prince William, 40, were heading to Scotland, AFP reported.
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
29 helicopters, 11 planes and 850 personnel: Turkey battles massive wildfire
More than 1,000 people were evacuated as firefighters on Thursday battled a wildfire in southern Turkey for a second day. At least 29 water-dropping helicopters, 11 planes and about 850 personnel were involved in the effort to extinguish the blaze, according to Turkey’s disaster and emergency management agency, AFAD. Read more: Death toll in China’s Sichuan earthquake rises to 82 Hundreds of homes and at least two hotels were evacuated as a precaution, AFAD said.
-
Death toll in China’s Sichuan earthquake rises to 82
The death toll from a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan has risen to 82, state media reported on Thursday. Monday’s quake, the strongest to hit the province since 2017, has injured more than 270 people, while 35 are missing, CCTV news reported. Authorities have reopened roads to the epicenter of the quake at Luding. The town was rattled by a 2.9 magnitude aftershock late on Wednesday, state media reported.
-
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s surprise Ukraine visit
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday made a surprise trip to Kyiv as the Joe Biden administration announced additional military aid worth over $2 billion for Ukraine and neighbouring countries to face Russia. Antony Blinken travelled in secrecy as he marked his second trip to Kyiv since the Russian invasion in February.
-
Crisis-hit Sri Lanka swears in 37 junior ministers, two for finance
Sri Lanka swore in 37 junior ministers, including two for the critical finance ministry, the president’s office said on Thursday, in a major expansion of the crisis-hit country’s government. The island of 22 million people is facing its worst economic turmoil since independence from Britain in 1948. While President Ranil Wickremesinghe remains finance minister, lawmakers Ranjith Siyambalapitiya and Shehan Semasinghe were sworn in as state ministers in the finance ministry.
-
Hong Kong extends vaccine passes to kids as young as five
Hong Kong will include children aged five and above in its COVID-19 vaccine pass scheme from the end of September, the government said on Thursday, as authorities try to boost inoculation levels there. Currently 55% of children aged 12-19 have had three vaccine shots but just 14% in the 3-11 age group. Masks are mandated in most places in Hong Kong and gatherings of more than four people prohibited.
