Queen Elizabeth to receive new Prime Minister at Balmoral

Queen Elizabeth will receive the new UK Prime Minster at her Balmoral estate.

The 96-year-old monarch – who has been suffering with health issues and mobility difficulties in recent months – arrived at her Scottish residence last month but would typically have been expected to interrupt her 10-week annual summer holiday to return to either Buckingham Palace in London or Windsor Castle to officially accept Boris Johnson’s resignation and to welcome either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak into office.

However, a royal spokesperson has confirmed that, for the first time ever, the politicians will travel to Aberdeenshire for the official meetings.

The representative said: “The Queen will receive Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday September 6 at Balmoral, followed by an audience with the new PM.”

The decision has been announced a week ahead of time in order to provide certainty for the Prime Minister’s diary, it is believed.

It had originally been planned for the meetings to take place at Windsor Castle, which has been the queen’s primary residence since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

According to insiders, it is very rare for a monarch not to appoint a new Prime Minister at either Windsor or Buckingham Palace.

In 1908, the ceremony was carried out in France when Herbert Asquith replaced Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, who had suddenly resigned amid health issues.

The new Prime Minister had to travel to Biarritz to meet with King Edward VII during the monarch’s holiday.

He was appointed following an audience in a private room in a hotel and remains the only UK Prime Minister to have taken office while on foreign soil.