Secret plans drawn up for Queen Elizabeth amid health woes

The plans mark a historic first for the British monarch. Photo / Getty Images

Secret plans have been drawn up for the Queen to appoint the new prime minister at Balmoral instead of Buckingham Palace in a historic first.

The Sun has reported Her Majesty - who has been suffering with health issues and mobility difficulties in recent months- has been advised to stay in Balmoral for the September 6 ceremony which will see either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak become the next UK leader.

The 96-year-old monarch arrived at her Scottish residence last month and had been expected to interrupt her annual 10-week summer break to return to Buckingham Palace on September 6 to officially accept Boris Johnson's resignation and to welcome the UK's new leader into office, but now plans have been drawn up for the politicians to travel instead.

A source told The Sun newspaper: "The Queen has now been advised not to travel.

"But obviously no one tells the Queen what to do and ultimately it is her decision, and as we saw when she made a third appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony at the Jubilee she likes surprises.

"There are some parts of her role that Prince Charles can do on her behalf but the Queen is adamant that she appoints the Prime Minister.

"It may not be the best choice to make the Queen travel 1000 miles there and back for a 48-hour visit when the Prime Ministers can easily get to Balmoral instead."

A final decision will be announced next week because the outgoing and potentially-incoming Prime Ministers need advance notice.

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 pandemic hit.

Wherever the ceremony does take place, it will be the first time in her 70-year reign that it has not been carried out at her official residence of London's Buckingham Palace.

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 resigned suddenly 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.

- Additional reporting by NZ Herald