Something is going on with Queen Elizabeth. It’s a combination of things: she lost her husband six months ago; she was ordered to give up alcohol; she’s using a cane “for comfort.” Plus, she hates masks and throughout the entire pandemic, she’s flatly refused to wear masks for nearly all of her events. Add to that, the Queen has been very busy in the past month, doing many public events and appearances. She’s 95 years old! So… yeah, she ended up cancelling a two-day visit to Northern Ireland, which was supposed to start today. Her doctors ordered her to stay home and rest.
The Queen has cancelled a planned two-day visit to Northern Ireland after advice from her doctors that she should “rest for the next few days”.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “The Queen has reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days. Her Majesty is in good spirits and is disappointed that she will no longer be able to visit Northern Ireland, where she had been due to undertake a series of engagements today and tomorrow. The Queen sends her warmest good wishes to the people of Northern Ireland, and looks forward to visiting in the future.”
The 95-year-old monarch is resting at Windsor Castle, where on Tuesday evening she welcomed business leaders, tech entrepreneurs and politicians to a reception following the government’s investment summit. Among guests she greeted, alongside the prime minister, Boris Johnson, was the Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
It is understood the Queen’s decision to the rest is not related to Covid. There is no guidance at present on whether health issues will affect her plans to attend events linked to the Cop26 climate change conference in Glasgow at the end of the month.
I have several guesses/assumptions. One, I think she’s resting so that she will be able to make the appearance at the climate change conference at the start of November. Two, I think her staff has been over-scheduling her because she wants to be out there, being seen and sending the message that she’s fine and she’s not going anywhere. Three, I do think there’s something else going on with her health or her balance. It feels like we’re following a trail of breadcrumbs. Anyway, she was already overscheduled and the cancellation really was at the last minute – royal reporters were already on the ground in Northern Ireland. It’s interesting.
These are photos from yesterday evening’s Global Investment Summit at Windsor. They really scheduled her for an evening event on Tuesday and then a Wednesday-Thursday tour of Northern Ireland?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
It’s not that much of a mystery is it? It’s not like she’s struck my some mysterious illness. She’s 95 and working too hard.
Seriously. Why do they have a nonagenarian running all over the countryside? Why aren’t her heirs doing more? Where are Wessexes who are her key support? Liz should be a home more often than not with her feet up and the corgis nearby. Let that woman rest.
I think part of it is just her pure stubbornness. She wants to keep moving, and if you are dealing with a geriatric like that, it’s incredibly hard to get them to slow down for their own health. In a normal family, younger family members may have to take a hard stance against the geriatric gallivanting off.
Normal family: “I’m going off to Scotland again today!” “No, Grandma, your balance isn’t so good, you are staying home. We can go next week.”
This family: “I’m going off to Scotland again today!” “Perhaps maybe you should….” “Ahem” “Yes, your Majesty, I’ll get your bags packed.”
The Wessexes are one thing, at least they have a history of high numers of engagements. It’s Keen and Willnot who should step up. When a 95 y.o. woman is doing more engagements than two 39 y.o. combined, they should be really ashamed of themselves. Of course they’re not, because they don’t know the meaning of the word.
I think the problem is that few in Northern Ireland want to see the Wessexes or the Keenbridges. I think people in Northern Ireland want to see QEII. If QEII cannot make it then Charles would be their second choice to do whatever QEII was going to do in Northern Ireland.
@BayTampaBay … Keenbridges? I am SO stealing that! 🙂
Exactly. She is by far the most popular member of that family left on Salty Isle. She’s not charismatic exactly (and she’s pretty awful personally), but she’s a national symbol in a way that I doubt Charles or William will ever be.
Because they barely want to see QEII, but they definitely don’t want SoFiesta and NotDukeOfEdinburg, Peen n’ Keen, or FAT fingers and Campax.
She’s on the way out.
I had the same thought
She’s 95 – wouldn’t be hugely surprising if so.
She’s 95….let the women rest. Yes, there is a lot going on with her. Don’t forget cutting a cake with an upside down saber and announcing to World Leaders “Shouldn’t we smile and pretend we are happy”…..Seriously with them taking away her cocktails I’m sure she is more confused than ever. Just let her BE!
Did she actually say that!? How sad!
@Snuffles: Her exact quote was ….” “Are you supposed to be looking as if you’re enjoying yourselves?,” She said this while World Leaders prepared to take a picture at the last G7 meeting. It was so random like when she approached a Ceremonial Guard for his saber to cut a cake. Poor Guard didn’t know what to do but she commandeered the saber and proceed to try and cut the cake with the saber’s sharp edge up.
I missed that! But I just read that she said this:
“The Queen was in high spirits last night as she told US climate envoy John Kerry she ‘saw him on the telly’ during Prince William’s ‘Earthshot Prize thing’ at a reception last night.”
Which…isn’t terrible, but not generally the way she’d speak, I don’t think?
So true. They need to let that old bird rest. I’d be surprised if she makes it to her Jubilee. They might have to pull a Weekend at Bernie’s if she croaks close to or on the day of her Jubilee.
They also just put her through alcohol withdrawal apparently. That can be hellish.
Yup, it’s a pity that she is home bound and her glasses are empty. No martinis or gin and tonics fir her, or whatever she drinks. At least allow her to have a glass of bubbly or two!
shhh, don’t say that too loud. you will get the stans jumping in to say that their nan is 97 and still sharp as a tack, running 10 companies and walking 5 miles a day.
I think it could be more political as to why she’s not going and medical reasons are a good excuse. I’m irish and our president turned down the invitation to attend for political reasons. It’s a very sensitive issue and this could be the best way to avoid any offence
That actually sounds really plausible but i have no doubt her health hasn’t really been what it should be. For 1. She is 95 and 2. She just seems so fragile lately.
Agreed. Imo she looks unwell. Her skin colour is different recently
+1, Dandun.
Oh, interesting @Dandun! That might explain why one of the other family members wasn’t sent in her stead then.
The Irish President turned the invitation down in mid September so it has been known about for weeks. He had been invited to attend a church service to celebrate the centenary of the Partition which established NI as part of the UK. Many people in the Republic of Ireland do not regard this as something to celebrate.
The Queen is being used as a weapon against support for independence, especially Scottish independence, within the devolved governments. This was what the Cambridge Covidiot train tour was meant to do. It seems the Palace has realised that our tiny and frail Queen is the strongest representative of the UK.
When the inevitable happens, and probably before then if the Queen has a slow decline, Charles will take her place. He is already doing most of the work but as long as his mother can totter out and be seen she is the one people want to see.
From recent appearances it seems to me that she is being carefully monitored and medicated. She is clearly enjoying these occasions.
The balls on someone to invite the President of Ireland to mark such an event.
Feebee my jaw dropped at reading it. I mean…wow. SMH.
I second this, I wonder if there are concerns over sectarian tensions? It seems a bit sudden. And they likely wouldn’t say in that case, so as not to make it any worse.
I know it’s sensitive to the Irish, but she’s the sovereign of the realm. That includes Northern Ireland. She has visited the province multiple times in the past years, including during the height of the Trouble. I doubt a snub from the President of the Republic of Ireland shall deter her.
It’s amazing that a 95 year old does twice the work of 2 almost 40 year olds
…and why isn’t that the headline in all the papers? If they love their queen as they say they do, why is the general public allowing William and Kate to be so lazy, forcing the queen out more and more? She tops every popularity poll in the country, so why aren’t the masses clamoring for these two to step up so their beloved monarch can rest? Shouldn’t W&K’s heads be rolling?
@ Lady D, I am all for W&K’s head to roll!!! They don’t use them anyway!! Maybe TQ could use them for croquet?
Thank you BothSidesNow!! 😂
So why didn’t they send the FFK & FFQ in her place?
Because 1) they don’t want to work and 2) they’d manage to tuck it up somehow.
Beacause they were there this month already
And she’s lost a lot of weight. What’s happening is that she’s 95 years old and not super human. She’s old and frail and shouldn’t be worked to death because other royals are either lazy, boring and un-likable.
I’m sure the Queen is hella stressed because the walls are closing in on her legacy.
I am wondering if the weight loss is related to the stopping drinking? If she really drank whatever that was reported, six cocktails a day or whatnot, she was getting a ton of calories from alcohol that are now no longer part of her daily routine.
I wondered the same.
Six cocktails a day?! It just goes to show that she doesn’t actually do any real work.
I doubt she has dropped a ton of weight in the week? Since the alcohol story came out . Though the story itself had no credible source , that’s never stopped us
And as she gets sicker she’ll be worrying about what will happen to Andrew when she’s not there to protect him, I think.
And all of its her own doing and I don’t feel one bit bad for her.
The last minute cancellation is interesting, but my guess is that her staff has just missed the memo that she is 95. Think about it, its been well over a year and a half since she was working her normal FT schedule – prior to the COVID shutdowns – and in that time she has lost her husband, which may have affected her deeply – there have been mostly zooms over the past 20 months and the like. The difference between 93 and 95 can be significant, and I wonder if her staff has been scheduling her work like they did prior to March 2020, and she has aged since then and isn’t quite up to the same schedule she was doing then.
But the fact that it was SO last minute makes me think she woke up, and there was something worrisome in her vital signs at her morning checkup (you know she has a daily checkup) so they canceled the trip.
If only there was someone who is not working that much that they could have sent instead. (cough Cambridges cough.)
How can you throw Kate and William under the bus like this? They have to do the school run, and then William has to work out with the moms at the Harbour Club.
I’m so sorry, you are of course right Kalana. I should have thought of that. The top CEOs are busy enough on their own, they can’t be expected to step up anymore!!!!!
lol
Kate also needs to update her Pinterest board with more pics of Meghan.
Interesting… for all that its worth, im not really an astrology freak either. But I recently looked up my own birth chart and was startled by how accurate it was.
Pao my birth chart is me almost to a T. Yeah I know all the skeptical explanations about how it’s all designed to be just general enough to fit anyone and make you “think” it is specific to you, but there are one too many things in mine that hit home.
I’m really starting to wonder how I’ll feel when she does die. Given her background she could be here for years yet but the trail of breadcrumbs is suggestive of her ageing/mortality being acknowledged more than the court has ever done before.
My attitude towards her has changed radically in recent years but I’ve also had 40+ years of indoctrination and familiarity (one of my earliest memories is a street party for something royal in the early 80’s). So while the logical part of my brain will be somewhat excited about what happens next and does the whole house of cards finally come crashing down, there will probably be a real sense of loss too. Huh.
I am dreading my son being indoctrinated pro-monarchy propaganda at school. Last week, he came back home saying that his teacher said God made the world and everything in it. I can live with that but it’s a bit difficult to explain to a 5 year old, the nuances and logic about it when he takes what his teachers say as gospel.
I’m American and I’ll definitely feel a sense of loss when she goes. I’m 40 and she’s been a fixture for my entire life, plus she’s another link to the age group of my now deceased grandparents. She’s as much a symbol as she is a person and it will definitely be a loss.
The majority of people living now have never known a world without her in it as a major public figure. Her absence will have a psychic effect, whatever we think of her personally.
Very true Monica. From a certain perspective the King or Queen is someone invested with centuries of symbolism and meaning for our psyches, just like Mother or Teacher even if we have a terrible mother or whatever. We can’t help but project on her even if it’s not conscious.
I too come from a real monarchist family, at least the older generation and have to watch what I say to my mother about Britain and the royals. I am so here for the end of the monarchy, and yet when I see the queen I am aware of the feeling of comfort or nostalgia that’s mixed in with my outrage.
@Monica, I feel like when it actually happens one day, it’s one of those things that won’t be surprising, but it will still be shocking. If this makes sense.
Of the 7.9 Billion People on the Planet she has lived longer than 99.99%…..In all honesty I don’t know what she has really contributed to the world. She was placed in this position of great privilege, power and wealth by a birthright but I’m not sure if she used this in anyway to advance the world. Maybe that never was her role. IDK…..maybe I’m missing something.
But that’s just it, what has she done to make me feel this way about her other than just be there? It’s amazing what symbolism and familiarity can do to you. I’m a psychologist (organisational/business not clinical, etc.) and I find it fascinating.
@SarahCS….It is fascinating. I suppose we have all allowed ourselves to believe in the fantasy at some point in our lives. Starting from our youth we have been conditioned to believe in a dashing Prince and a beautiful Princess….but it’s all make believe and fiction. They are no better than you and I. I’m grateful to live in a country that believes the fiction to be just that fiction. Instead of a system that props up a family to fool an entire nation of people….how sad.
Honestly, to me she has always reminded me of a combo of my grandmothers – she looks a lot like the one (same hairstyle lol) and the other was two years older than the queen, so she was a young bride during World War II, even their kids are spaced roughly similarly – my uncle was 49, my mom 51, and my aunt in 60 – and for the whole of my life the queen has been a grandmother herself – William’s bday is the same day of one of my oldest friends – so she’s always been this vaguely maternal figure in my life (Even from a distance, as I’m American.)
Now obviously I see her in a very different light but I imagine for many, many people in the world she’s just the ultimate grandmother figure and add to that the fact that’s always just been there for those same many people, and her death is going to have a global effect.
I know, I know. I couldn’t help smiling when I saw her shaking Bill Gates hand at a reception–and I don’t even like Bill Gates. She is such a grandma figure. And I so miss that.
What I like about the queen is that she’s seen it all go by. The 1st American president she met was Eisenhower. She must say “Oh, here comes another US president. Ho hum”. She IS history and has seen epic shifts in the world that would have been fantasy in the decades before they happened. I think it’s comical that Charles has been waiting since the 70’s to be king but the Queen ascended the throne when she still had toddlers at home (Charles and Anne). Charles has waited so long but his reign will be a short one – over in a hurry.
I can’t believe the Queen has these indoor receptions without masks while Covid/Delta is still happening in London. Even though she is vaccinated, she can still inhale Covid, and why take the chance with her?
Her staying home is either fatigue, a fall, or there was a credible threat in NI.
She’s 95 years old!! Why isn’t Charles doing this trip or even W&K? I’m sure she wants to keep working, but this just seems wrong. Let the woman rest.
She doesn’t want Charles to do them! She hates Charles and knows he will throw andy out on his ass once he becomes king. He goal is to make Charles look horrible and then show that will is too lazy and inept to do anything. She hopes that will make nonce shine. It won’t but she’s not a smart woman or a particularly insightful one. I think she’s really sick and won’t make it to summer.
All I can say to that comment is “Well Darn. If she hates Charles and isn’t thrilled with Will that’s a messed up situation altogether. 😂
Charles and Camilla were in Northern Ireland last month so really the answer lies with fric and frac the lazy duo who wants to conquer America instead.
The palace is trying to keep her around for next year’s celebrations. A lot of time, money and planning has gone into it and it would be extremely inconvenient if she pops off before then.
Yup. Plus the jubilee can serve as an attempt at a nice temporary distraction for the failings of the government. key word being: attempt
I’ve said before that all this certainty and inevitability in the talk about the jubilee reminds me of all the planning and stories they were hyping up for Philip’s 100th birthday. I’m just saying.
Exactly. And Philip didn’t make it his 100th birthday.
Someone from another forum posted an old article from 1987, from a astrologer Diana consulted, that implied Chuck will ascend around 2023/2024, when his moon will eclipsed hers (I think that was the terminology), around a lot turmoil.
The Queen herself ascended when her moon eclipsed her father’s moon.
@simone
That sounds like William throwing a fit because his plans for jumping the line didn’t work. I could see him going ham and trying to get Charles to abdicate. But ultimately bringing the whole thing down.
I read once that a coronation would only take place after a year of mourning.. if that is true your saying he becomes king in 2023/24.. it’s a little eerie.
@Cessily, Charles becomes the King the second his mum pops the clog, not just when he is crowned.
The something that’s going on with the Queen is that she’s old and shouldn’t be working. When I said this some weeks ago people said I was being ageist but there’s a reason people retire from work. They’re old and tired of working. I think they should let the Queen retire. She doesn’t have to abdicate but let Charles being the regent and she can come out for special occasions only.
The Queen should be doing a schedule that matches what W and K are currently doing. And of course those do should be doing 500 engagements each.
Well, that’ll put a damper on the Jubilee celebration.
I shall feel sad. My birth and her Coronation coincide. As for ‘cancelling engagements’ that was the pattern before her mother died
I’m not into astrology but I hope this is true. Not wishing bad health on anyone but for Charles and Will to experience the same treatment they gave Harry and Meghan. Maybe then they will be humble and finally apologize to H&M. Maybe too much to hope for?
There’s no apology coming, that’s for sure.
Brexit looks completely different for Northern Ireland. I agree with Dandun that there’s a political element to this that the monarchy doesn’t want us to notice too much.
She’s 95. At this point a cold could kill her so I wouldn’t be surprised if something was only slightly wrong and the doctors went “nope”. But then again, wasn’t her husband sent into hospital for “only” an infection? So yeah.
When Philip first went into the hospital that last go round, it was initially reported as not being that big a deal, which is why I didn’t believe he was on his deathbed until he actually died.
When I saw the photos of him in the car when he was picked up from the hospital, I had a feeling it was the last go around for him. He looked completely different from how he looked at Beatrice’s wedding last year and it looked like his age had finally caught up with him. At that age you just don’t recover as well from surgical procedures.
Why all these royal trips to Northern Ireland? Weren’t the Wessexes there recently and also the Cambridges?
A lot of planning went into the trip and she takes her role seriously so it must be serious for them to cancel the trip.
I’m guessing Brexit plus its the 100 year anniversary of the partition of NI from the Republic. Lots of political hot potatoes flying around.
They should start having the other senior royals scheduled to go as well, then, on the off chance that a 95 year old MIGHT not want to jet all over the place for back to back events. As everyone mentions above, this should not be a surprise! Actually, I thought it had already been announced that the Queen would be accompanied on all of her longer trips, which would have meant that Charles or one of the Wessexes would have been available on short notice. Yes, probably people want to see the queen herself, not her sons, but somebody at the palace needs to step up if they want to survive.
Otherwise, what the heck is the point of the “magnificent seven” or whatever were calling themselves?
What is the purpose for the trip anyway?. She should retire, as the the youngums are getting restless for their turns. Just a thought.
There was a thing going around Tik tok that someone predicted she would die 10/18. Obviously that didn’t happen, but this cancellation is suspicious.
I wondered whether there was a security threat that prevented her voyage to NI. She is, however, getting thinner than her dressmaker’s alterations.
Simone, are there any things in particular you have gleaned with months that are Betsy significant?
Where can I read up on more info specifically ok their astrology? I’ve also heard this being said from an Astrology podcast on YT but is was from a Serbian woman who hasn’t released info I could find in the topic. She was sharing her info 2nd hand.
My grandmother was mobile and sharp as a tack on her 95th birthday. She lived alone but had family nearby, and used a system where she had to call by 10 am every day to say she was up and out of bed and feeling fine. One day she didn’t call and someone went to check on her. She was up but had forgotten to call, “that’s all.” Ten days later she died in the hospital. My point is, maybe “rest” won’t be enough for the Queen to make it to the jubilee.
Hell, my Nazi sympathizing MIL is 102 and uses a walker but is up at 5A everyday. Out working in the garden, hasn’t had a job in America her entire life but can run circles around me. My father, the drinker and smoker was living alone until 95, in which he fell and passed away within a week.
But sure as hell wouldn’t hurt for some people to get off of their arses and work for their keep!
Life is fragile when you’re that old. I lost my great-grandmother last June; she was 93. She had always been in great health for her age, but she acquired a bowel blockage. She was too old to have an operation, so what can sometimes be a survivable condition was terminal for her.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Betty has a similar issue. Fatigue due to her high activity level and years of heavy alcohol use have put her at risk of something like this for years now. She may have the best doctors in the world at her disposal, but there are just some things that you can’t treat safely, especially at an advanced age.
My question is this – if Betty needs palliative care, would the public even hear about it? The leaked preparations for her death seemed to assume that it would happen suddenly, but that’s not always how death operates. In my great-grandmother’s case, palliative care lasted for about a month and a half before she passed. So if Betty is really deathly ill, will the public be informed, or will her absence just keep being explained away?
Personally, I predict that the RF and media will just Keep Calm And Carry On until that fateful day comes, after which all hell will break loose.
Yeah, granted she had been on a 4 month downhill journey but it was a broken arm that took my (89 year old) grandma out in the end. Broke it on Friday and gone in the early hours of Sunday, on Saturday the doctor told us her body was done and she’d be gone in a few hours.
What no-one talks about is that it’s 99% certain that she tripped over the cat. I inherited him and I keep an eye on him now…
As for the BRF, we know that denial and pretending everything is BAU is how they operate (Andrew, TOB with covid, etc.) so they will absolutely be covering up like crazy when things get bad with her.
The elderly often suffer from TIAs (transient ischaemic attacks) which are, in essence, mini-strokes that are barely detectable. About 1 in 3 people who has a transient ischemic attack will eventually have a stroke, with about half occurring within a year after the initial transient ischemic attacks. Both my mom and dad had them before succumbing at 89 and 92 respectively, my dad from heart disease and my mom from peritonitis. TIAs can also cause loss of balance and brief periods of mild dementia so my guess is she may have had a few, hence the alcohol ban and cane.
Jaded, this has been my assumption too. Dizziness, mini-strokes, possibly resulting in a fall, hence the cane. Just seemed a possibility which fit the facts.
She’s 95. Even a UTI at that age can mess you up.
I don’t know what is happening with the queen’s health-but I saw today on the news reports that the UK is expecting up to a 100,000 daily infections from covid this winter-they are still going on as usual to the cases start rising which they have already started.
There’s been an update on the Queen’s health.