The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have traveled to Scotland amid reports of the Queen’s deteriorating health.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were due to attend the Wellchild Awards in London tonight but it has been confirmed they have canceled their appearance.
The prince was due to make a speech at today’s awards ceremony, which recognizes the brave deeds of seriously ill children.
Prince Charles traveled by helicopter from his native Birkall, Scotland, to Balmoral with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and is now with the Queen, as are Prince William and Princess Anne.
Prince Andrew and Prince Edward are understood to be traveling as is harry, Duke of Sussex, who is accompanied by his wife Meghan. A plane carrying seven members of the royal household has landed in Aberdeen.
It was not expected that Harry and Meghan would see other members of the royal family during their visit from California this week.
It took this crisis to put Princes Harry and William in the same place.
The Duchess of Cambridge is in Windsor with her children.
A royal spokesman said: “Following further checks this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended that she remain under medical supervision. The Queen stays comfortable and in Balmoral.’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leave City Hall in Dusseldorf yesterday
Queen Elizabeth II with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Queen’s Young Leaders Awards ceremony in 2018
Any statement about the health of the queen is considered rare and portends a serious situation. It is also significant that all of her immediate family are with her or on the road.
Concerned Britons have already gathered outside the gates of Balmoral to pray and pay their respects to Her Majesty.
Minutes before the statement, new Prime Minister Liz Truss was handed a note in the House of Commons updating her on the development as she revealed her plans to cap energy bills for the next two years.
The Prime Minister, who was sworn in by the Queen at Balmoral on Tuesday, tweeted: “The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this afternoon.
“My thoughts – and the thoughts of the people of our UK – are with Her Majesty the Queen and her family at this time.”
Union leader Keir Starmer wrote: “Joining the rest of the country I am deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this afternoon. My thoughts are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time and I join everyone in the UK in hoping for her recovery.
The Queen waits in the drawing room before receiving Liz Truss for an audience in Balmoral, Scotland, on Tuesday. Today she is under the supervision of doctors out of concern for her health
A statement about the Queen’s health is extremely rare and a cause for great concern
A sign advising the cancellation of today’s Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace
People gather outside Balmoral Castle after the Buckingham Palace declaration
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not expected to visit the Queen during their European tour this month.
Yesterday they were in Dusseldorf, Germany to celebrate a year ahead of the next Invictus Games where they were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of royalist enthusiasts, while today’s schedule was supposed to focus on the Wellchild Awards.
The Duke has been a patron of Wellchild since 2007.
The couple’s tour was the subject of increasing speculation as to whether they would see other members of the royal family, particularly Harry’s father Prince Charles and brother Prince William.
A royal insider said the two brothers have only seen each other twice in 12 months.
Heir to the throne Charles was reported to have made regular morning visits to his mother later that summer as she continued to struggle with her mobility, with unscheduled visits considered highly unusual.
The Queen missed the annual Braemar Gathering Highland Games, which she normally attends, last weekend.
During her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the Queen only traveled to Buckingham Palace twice, first for her balcony appearance on Trooping the Color and then for a post-pageant finale.
The Queen (pictured) recently received “unusual” daily morning visits from the Prince of Wales
Royal experts say unscheduled visits between Prince Charles (pictured) and his mother are unusual and are usually arranged by household staff
The Queen has been in Balmoral since July 21 when she traveled to her Highlands estate for her summer break
She secretly spent a night in hospital for tests in October and was told by doctors to rest for the next three months as she missed the Remembrance Sunday cenotaph service and the Cop26 climate change talks.
The Queen caught Covid in February.
After experiencing mild cold-like symptoms, she said the virus had made her “very tired and exhausted.”
The Queen is the only British monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee.
Their rule extends from the post-war years into a new millennium and a radically changed 21st century.
In her twilight time, she has her affairs in order, using her jubilee message to support her daughter-in-law, the Duchess of Cornwall, once a royal mistress, as the future queen to be crowned alongside the Prince of Wales when he becomes king.
In her anniversary year, she also faced a slew of royal troubles.
She stripped her son, the Duke of York, of his military roles and Andrew gave up his HRH style before agreeing to pay millions to settle a civilian sexual assault case.
Her beloved husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, to whom she was married for 73 years, died in April 2021.
Representatives from Harry and Meghan have been contacted by MailOnline for comment, as has the Wellchild Awards.
