Secret plans for Queen to appoint new prime minister in Balmoral first as she ‘suffers from mobility’

SECRET plans have been hatched for the Queen to appoint the new Prime Minister at Balmoral instead of Buckingham Palace in a historic first.

The 96-year-old monarch struggles with mobility and has been advised to stay with Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak for the September 6 ceremony.

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The new Prime Minister will make a 1,000-mile round trip to see the Queen at Balmoral for a historic ceremony to mark the transfer of power.

Her Majesty, who suffers from mobility problems, is no longer expected to interrupt her holiday when Tory voters choose Boris Johnson’s replacement for the No10.

It is now planned that Mr Johnson will be accompanied by either Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss and will travel to the Queen on Tuesday 6 September.

It would be the first time in living memory that the so-called hand kissing takes place outside of London or Windsor.

The current advice to the Queen is understood to be based on concerns about her well-being.

A final decision on whether to stay there will be made public next week as the outgoing and incoming prime ministers need to be notified in advance.

The plans have sparked new health concerns just weeks after she wowed revelers in Britain during her glorious four-day platinum anniversary party in June.

A source said: “The Queen has now been advised not to travel.

“But obviously nobody tells the Queen what to do and ultimately it is her decision and as we saw in her third appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony at the Jubilee, she likes surprises.

“There are some parts of her role that Prince Charles can fill for her, but the Queen insists she appoints the Prime Minister.

“It might not be the best choice to have the Queen travel 1,000 miles round-trip for a 48-hour visit when the Prime Ministers can easily get to Balmoral instead.”

It is understood that when the Queen arrived in Scotland last month for her 10-week holiday, she was hoping to make the trip south when the Prime Minister is appointed.

Windsor Castle was intended for the traditional constitution ceremony.

Sources say it’s incredibly rare for a monarch not to anoint a new prime minister at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle.

The Queen kissed the hands of her first Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, at Heathrow in 1952, on her return from Africa after the death of her father, King George VI.

Since then, every second Prime Minister has traveled to Buckingham Palace.

But in 1908, after the sudden resignation of an ailing Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, the ceremony was performed in France.

His successor, Herbert Asquith, had to travel to Biarritz, where the Queen’s great-grandfather, King Edward VII, was on holiday at the time.

There are some parts of her role that Prince Charles can fill for her, but the Queen insists she appoints the Prime Minister.

A source

Appointed after an audience in a private hotel room, Asquith remains the only prime minister to have assumed office on foreign soil. The Queen has been suffering from “episodic mobility problems” for almost a year and spent a night in hospital last October.

She arrived in Scotland on July 22 and was pictured walking down the steps of her plane after landing at Aberdeen Airport.

A public ceremony to welcome the Queen to Balmoral was instead held behind closed doors amid concerns for her comfort.

Members of her family were with her at the 50,000-acre estate this summer.

Prince Andrew is believed to have been the first family member to arrive north of the border and engaged in “intense discussions” with his mother after he was banned from royal roles in January over his sexual abuse case.

Prince Charles and Camilla were at their home in Birkhall, just a short drive from the Queen’s apartments in Balmoral.

William and Kate, who are moving to become their neighbors at Windsor Castle, are also believed to have been at the estate with George, 9, Charlotte, 7, and Louis, 4, with her.

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their families vacationed in Balmoral this month.

And Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex’s daughter, Lady Louise, was at the Queen’s estate when she received her high school diploma results last week.

Prince Harry and Meghan are flying back from California next month to be in Windsor, Manchester, London and Dusseldorf but have not yet confirmed if they will be visiting the Queen.

Allowing the Queen to travel 1,000 miles round-trip for a 48-hour visit might not be the best choice when Prime Ministers can easily get to Balmoral instead.

A source

Tory voters will choose Boris Johnson’s successor when they choose between Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss on Monday 5 September.

Mr Johnson is expected to be in Balmoral the next day to present his resignation in an audience with the Queen.

His successor will then be appointed by the Queen, who will also meet the new Privy Councilor. Ms. Truss or Mr. Sunak will be the 15th PM to have served during their 70-year reign.

She broke her Balmoral holiday in July 2019 and headed to Buckingham Palace when Mr Johnson replaced Theresa May.

The Queen was first staying at her seven-bed Craigowan Lodge when she was busted in July.

The stone house has recently been surrounded by a CCTV steel ring and security fencing and fitted with a £20,000 wheelchair accessible lift.

When the Queen moved to Balmoral on August 8, palace insiders initially said the plan was for the Queen to break her recess for audiences with the outgoing and incoming prime ministers.

It was hoped that she could return to either Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle due to the timing of the choice.

Her health fears were first raised when she showed up with a walking stick to an engagement party at Westminster Abbey last October.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment last night.

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