There's growing concern about Queen Elizabeth's health.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement that following the 96-year-old monarch's evaluation, her doctors "are concerned for Her Majesty's health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision." It continued, "The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral."
The traditional ceremony of the Changing of the Guard, which was supposed to take place outside the Buckingham Palace on Friday morning, was also called off.
"Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have traveled to Balmoral," Buckingham Palace said.
Prince William has arrived at the Queen's side, and Harry and Meghan are en route. Kate remained in Windsor on Thursday for her children's first day of school. The Queen’s other children — Prince Edward, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew — are either traveling to be with her or are already there.
The news that the monarch is being joined by her closest family could mean her health is truly deteriorating.
The Queen has been plagued by health issues in recent months. This week, it was announced that the Queen would not preside over a scheduled Privy Council meeting. "After a full day yesterday, Her Majesty has this afternoon accepted doctors' advice to rest," the palace revealed. "This means that the Privy Council meeting that had been due to take place this evening will be rearranged."
On Tuesday, the Queen met with Conservative Party leader Liz Truss to formally appoint her as the country's new prime minister. An image of the Queen with a bruised hand from the event circulated on the internet and caused public concern.
On Thursday, Truss spoke out about the Queen's health on Twitter, writing, "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."
While the Queen has continued her royal duties to the best of her abilities, her constant health problems have caused her to miss several events. In October of 2021, she spent a night in the hospital, and she contracted COVID-19 in February of this year. She has also suffered from mobility issues and needed more time to rest and tend to her health.
The Queen hasn't been to a public outing since July, when she and daughter Princess Anne opened the new 28-bed Thames Hospice building.
The news that the Queen's health is becoming increasingly concerning to doctors comes days after she canceled her annual appearance at a sporting event in Scotland.
