London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

New PM will meet Queen at Balmoral before taking over at No 10

New PM will meet Queen at Balmoral before taking over at No 10

Boris Johnson will also have to travel 500 miles from London to monarch’s Aberdeenshire estate before he steps down
The new prime minister will have to travel to Balmoral in Scotland for their audience with the Queen before formally taking over in Downing Street, the royal family has said in a statement, the first time this will have happened.

The 96-year-old monarch, for whom Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak will be the 15th prime minister she has dealt with, normally sees an incoming leader at Buckingham Palace, but remains outside of London due to what is described as an an “episodic mobility issue”.

Boris Johnson will also have to travel 500 miles from London to the monarch’s Aberdeenshire estate next Tuesday before he steps down as prime minister, to be succeeded by either Truss or Sunak.

Johnson is expected to fly to Scotland early on Tuesday morning, most likely after delivering a final address outside the door of No 10.

The result of the contest to become the new Conservative leader will be announced on Monday lunchtime, with the formalities for the winner – widely predicted to be Truss – taking place the next day.

Traditionally, the outgoing PM makes a brief statement before travelling to Buckingham Palace to present their resignation to the Queen. Their successor then sees the monarch, who invites them to form a government, before going to Downing Street, where they also speak.

However, the Queen is 96 and in increasingly frail health. She has spent the summer in Balmoral, and her lack of mobility means she finds travel difficult.

PA Media, which received the royal statement, said the Queen was experiencing an “episodic mobility issue” and while it might have been possible for go to London or Windsor Castle, it was decided to go for certainty, to avoid plans having to be amended at the last minute.

Speaking to reporters in Barrow-in-Furness, where he had attended the commissioning of a newly-built submarine, Johnson said the aim was to make the Queen’s life as easy as possible.

“I can tell, you that we will certainly make sure the arrangements for the handover will fit totally around her, and whatever she wants,” he said.

The two 1,000-mile round trips will significantly delay the chronology of the handover day, which usually happens in a relatively brief period.

Even during June’s platinum jubilee celebrations the Queen travelled to Buckingham Palace only twice, for her trooping the colour balcony appearance and the pageant, spending most of her time at Windsor Castle.

Under the UK’s system of constitutional monarchy, it is part of the Queen’s role to invite the leader of the biggest party in the Commons to form a government, and to accept the resignation of former PMs. Truss or Sunak will be the 15th prime minister she has received, starting with Winston Churchill.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×