Horses are ridden past Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, May 4, 2017. REUTERS/Neil Hall

Home » No Cause for Alarm about Queen, Philip after Royal Staff Called to Meeting – Source

No Cause for Alarm about Queen, Philip after Royal Staff Called to Meeting – Source

LONDON (Reuters) – There is no cause for alarm about the welfare of Queen Elizabeth or her husband Prince Philip after all senior royal staff were summoned to a meeting at Buckingham Palace on Thursday, a well-placed source told Reuters. The Daily Mail newspaper had reported that senior aides from across the country had been […]

By SAPeople
04-05-17 11:59
in News
Horses are ridden past Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, May 4, 2017. REUTERS/Neil Hall

LONDON (Reuters) – There is no cause for alarm about the welfare of Queen Elizabeth or her husband Prince Philip after all senior royal staff were summoned to a meeting at Buckingham Palace on Thursday, a well-placed source told Reuters.

Armed police stand on duty in the grounds of Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, May 4, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville

The Daily Mail newspaper had reported that senior aides from across the country had been called to the palace for an emergency meeting, leading to wide speculation on social media about the health of the royals.

“There’s no cause for alarm,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

The queen, the world’s longest-reigning living monarch celebrated her 91st birthday in April. Philip turns 96 next month.

Elizabeth met Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday to formally agree to the dissolution of parliament ahead of June’s election while Philip opened a new stand at Lord’s Cricket Ground in central London.

The Mail reported that the royal staff would be addressed by the Lord Chamberlain, the most senior officer of the Royal Household, and the queen’s private secretary Sir Christopher Geidt. The BBC said the meeting would take place at 10 a.m. (0900 GMT).

Buckingham Palace had no comment on the Mail report but the source said such all-staff meetings did occur occasionally. There was no detail about what the meeting would address.

Elizabeth ascended to the throne in 1952 and polls show she remains hugely popular among Britons. She and Philip are due to celebrate their platinum, or 70th, wedding anniversary in November.

Despite their age, the couple continue to carry out hundreds of official duties although they have cut back on their workload in recent years, passing on many responsibilities to son and heir Prince Charles, and grandsons, Princes William and Harry.

The queen missed a traditional Christmas church service last year for the first time in decades due to a heavy cold and was hospitalised in March 2013 with symptoms of gastroenteritis, the first time she had needed hospital treatment in a decade.

While her father, George VI, died at 56, her mother lived until 101 and was still appearing in public almost up until her death in 2002.

Philip underwent “an exploratory operation following abdominal investigations” in 2013.

He was also hospitalised for a bladder infection during the queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations the year before, and spent Christmas 2011 in hospital where he underwent an operation to clear a blocked heart artery after suffering chest pains.

Tourists look through the railings of Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, today May 4, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville
A policeman delivers newspapers to Buckingham Palace in London, Britain May 4, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville
People sit and stand on the Queen Victoria Memorial opposite Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, May 4, 2017. REUTERS/Neil Hall
People cycle past Buckingham Palace in London, Britain May 4, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville
A man strolls outside Buckingham Palace in London, Britain May 4, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville

(Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Louise Ireland)

UPDATE:

Prince Philip (95) will retire from public engagements in Autumn this year, Buckingham Palace announced at its “emergency meeting” Thursday morning. The Queen will continue her full schedule of engagements.

https://twitter.com/walshjamie_/status/860062505237983232

On Twitter Earlier on Thursday:

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https://twitter.com/ChicagoMGD/status/860033908162744320

https://twitter.com/csdarcy96/status/860052390967480321