Queen 'will appoint next PM at Balmoral instead of Buckingham Palace'

The Queen ‘will appoint Britain’s next Prime Minister at Balmoral instead of Buckingham Palace’ amid ongoing health fears for Her Majesty

• The Queen was due to travel back down south for kissing of the hands ceremony
• But plans have been drawn up to appoint new Prime Minister at Balmoral Castle
• It would mark first time in memory it takes place away from London or Windsor

The Queen will appoint the next Prime Minister at Balmoral instead of Buckingham Palace as she continues to battle mobility issues, reports suggest.

Boris Johnson has announced he will step down on September 6, when he will formally tender his resignation to the Queen.

The Monarch will then ‘invite’ the winning Tory candidate – either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak – to become Prime Minister and announce their name.

Her Majesty, 96, had been due to cut her holiday at the Scottish estate short to attend the ceremony but that plan has now been scrapped, according to the Sun.

It would mark the first time in living memory the so-called kissing of the hands happens outside London or Windsor.

The newspaper reports that secret plans have been drawn up to relocate the ceremony to Balmoral as the Queen has been advised to avoid the journey back down south for comfort reasons.

The Queen is expected to appoint the next PM at Balmoral instead of Buckingham Palace

If the official ceremony takes place at Balmoral (pictured) it would mark the first time in living memory that a new Prime Minister has been appointed outside of London or Windsor

It is understood an official decision on whether she will travel back to Windsor will be announced next week.

A source told the Sun: ‘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 1,000 miles there and back for a 48-hour visit when the Prime Ministers can easily get to Balmoral instead.’

The last Prime Minister to kiss hands with the monarch away from Buckingham Palace was Winston Churchill who, in 1952, kissed hands with the newly appointed Queen at Heathrow Airport when she returned from Africa following the death of her father King George VI.

Liz Truss is battling it out with rival Rishi Sunak to take over from Johnson as Prime Minister

Herbert Asquith remains the only Prime Minister to take office on foreign soil after he was forced to travel to Biarritz, in France, in 1908 where King Edward VII was holidaying at the time.

The Queen does not usually return from her Balmoral break until early October but sources had said she told aides she will make an exception this year and travel to London. 

The appointment of Prime Minister is one of the few personal prerogatives of the Queen and, sources said, a duty she intended to fulfil in person. 

It is the latest change to plans due to health concerns for Her Majesty as she continues to deal with mobility issues.

Earlier this month, it was confirmed the Queen had ‘cancelled her traditional welcome to Balmoral’ and instead hosted a small private event. 

Sources indicated the alteration was ‘a sign of things to come’ amid Her Majesty’s episodic mobility problems.

On September 6, either Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss is expected to travel to Balmoral as the new PM

But Buckingham Palace played down concerns over her health, instead saying the private event was ‘in line with adapting Her Majesty’s schedule for her comfort’.

Balmoral is understood to be a favourite stay for Her Majesty, who welcomes her family to the castle throughout the summer months.

She has been staying at Craigowan Lodge since departing Windsor Castle for Scotland on July 21.

It comes after a lorry with furniture was pictured outside Balmoral on Saturday after bringing furniture from Windsor.

Balmoral has had a number of adaptations in recent years, including Craigowan Lodge being fitted with a wheelchair-friendly lift last year.

A new security gate, a state-of-the-art intercom system and a string of new CCTV cameras were also installed.

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