Queen Elizabeth II will appoint the new Prime Minister of Britain at her Balmoral Castle residence in Scotland instead of Buckingham Palace in London.
Queen Elizabeth II attends an Armed Forces Act of Loyalty parade in the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh on June 28, 2022. Queen Elizabeth II will be in Scotland to receive the outgoing Prime Minister of Britain, where she is taking her summer break. Next week Boris Johnson and his successor, Buckingham Palace officials said on Wednesday, August 31, 2022. (AP photo)
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- Queen Elizabeth to appoint new UK Prime Minister at Balmoral Castle residence in Scotland
- It will be the first time in his 70-year reign that the monarch will appoint a new prime minister away from Buckingham Palace.
- Officials said Johnson would visit Balmoral Castle on Tuesday to formally tender his resignation
For the first time, Queen Elizabeth II will be in Scotland to receive outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his successor, royal officials said on Wednesday, where she is taking her summer break.
The 96-year-old monarch traditionally holds an audience with outgoing and up-and-coming prime ministers at Buckingham Palace, his official London residence. It will be the first time in his 70-year reign that the monarch will appoint a new prime minister away from Buckingham Palace.
Officials said Johnson would travel to Balmoral Castle, the Queen’s summer vacation home in the Scottish Highlands, to formally resign on Tuesday. His replacement – either Foreign Secretary Liz Truss or former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, two finalists in the Conservative Party leadership race – will also travel on the same day and be asked by the Queen to form a new government.
The Queen, who celebrated her Platinum Jubilee this year, is having trouble walking and has canceled some events in recent months. She now uses a walking stick regularly.
Palace officials did not explain the new arrangement, but British media reported that her decision to remain in Scotland was made to provide certainty for a political transfer.
Asked about the announcement, Johnson told reporters on Wednesday: “I don’t talk about my conversations with the Queen, no prime minister ever does. But I can tell you that we certainly do. Will ensure that the handover arrangement will fit perfectly around her and whatever she wants.”
From Winston Churchill to Johnson in the 1950s, the Queen was served by 14 prime ministers during her reign. Formally the appointment of the prime minister is part of his duties as head of state.
The monarch moved to Windsor Castle in the west of London at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and now spends most of his time there.
Johnson announced his resignation in early July, after rising morality scandals toppled his government. He remained as caretaker prime minister until his Conservative Party announced his successor on Monday.
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