In a rare break from royal tradition, Queen Elizabeth II will appoint Britain's new Prime minister in Scotland this year instead of London. Releasing a statement, Buckingham Palace revealed that the Queen is currently based in Scotland and does not plan to travel down to London.
The 96-year-old monarch will receive the newly elected Conservative Party leader at her Balmoral Castle residence on Sept 6 – a day after the Tory leadership election result is announced.
Over the years, the Queen has received newly elected Prime Ministers in England and it was expected that she would travel back to Buckingham Palace in London or to her Windsor Castle residence in Berkshire.
However, given her age, it was speculated that this time she may decide to stay on at Aberdeenshire in Scotland, where she is spending her annual summer break.
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Since last year, the Queen has experienced some age-related mobility issues and often uses a walking stick.
Earlier this year, she was forced to cut several official engagements short and missed much of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations to restrict her brief appearances to the Buckingham Palace balcony.
It is very rare for any British monarch not to anoint a new Prime Minister at Buckingham Palace.
Back in 1952, the Queen conducted the ceremony with her first Prime Minister Winston Churchill at Heathrow after she flew back from Africa as a new monarch following her father King George VI’s death.
Every other Prime Minister since has travelled to Buckingham Palace.