Queen Welcomes New Prime Minister Liz Truss to Balmoral Castle Amid Health Concerns

Queen Elizabeth II warmly received the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, at her residence in Balmoral Castle, Scotland.

However, a particular detail from their meeting has raised concerns about the 96-year-old monarch's health among royal enthusiasts.

This was the first time the Queen, who has been facing mobility issues, held an audience in Aberdeenshire.

The public had not seen her since July 21 when she arrived for her summer vacation.

Since last autumn, the Queen has been grappling with episodic mobility problems, and last week it was decided that the outgoing and incoming prime ministers would make the 1,000-mile round trip to see her.

In an official statement issued by Buckingham Palace at 1 pm today, it was announced that the Queen received the Right Honourable Elizabeth Truss MP in audience and requested her to form a new administration.

Ms. Truss accepted the Queen's offer and kissed hands upon her appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.

Normally, the court circular records that the Prime Minister kissed hands on appointment, but in reality, it is usually a handshake, as was the case with Ms. Truss today.

The meeting took place in the drawing-room of Balmoral, which is adorned with a pair of green sofas, a fabric chair with a leaf design, an open fireplace, and several ancient paintings depicting horses.

After formally accepting Boris Johnson's resignation, the Queen wore a tartan skirt and a grey cardigan over a blue top to meet with Truss.

Photos from the audience have started to circulate, and one particular health matter has caught everyone's attention – the apparent blue color of the Queen's hand.

Observing the images of the new PM and the Queen shaking hands, it does appear that the monarch's right hand has a rather alarming blackish-blue hue.

While it is known that older individuals can bruise more easily, the extent of the apparent damage is significant, raising concerns among onlookers.

Some individuals also noted that the Queen seemed to be in a less than optimal state overall.

One social media user commented, “The Queen looks fragile, like proper fragile.”

However, despite these observations, the monarch appeared well and in good spirits.

She was photographed smiling broadly as she greeted Liz in the drawing-room at Balmoral, where she held a cane in her hand, although she did not seem heavily reliant on it.

Royal enthusiasts were thrilled to see the Queen looking happy and well, taking to social media to express their delight at the opportunity to see the Royal at home.

Liz Truss, 47, now follows in the footsteps of Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May as the third female Prime Minister in British history, all serving during the Queen's 70-year reign.

The day after being declared the victor of the Tory leadership contest, Truss and her husband, Hugh O'Leary, arrived at the Queen's private Scottish estate in a chauffeur-driven car.

They were greeted by the Queen's private secretary, Sir Edward Young, and her equerry, Lieutenant Colonel Tom White, similar to how Mr. Johnson had been received when he tendered his resignation to the monarch.

It is worth noting that Miss Truss, the new leader of the Conservative Party and the Queen's 15th Prime Minister, has previously called for the abolition of the monarchy.

Addressing the 1994 Liberal Democrat conference when she was a 19-year-old student, she boldly stated, “We do not believe people are born to rule.”

She also claimed to have canvassed public opinion, with people telling her, “Abolish them, we've had enough.”

However, Miss Truss has since acknowledged that her political views evolved as she grew older.

During the Sky News debate in August, she mentioned that she had already met the Queen, who had been too polite to raise the issue with her.

When asked if she would apologize if the Queen did bring it up, Miss Truss admitted, “Well, I was wrong to say what I did at the time.”

In a conversation with a BBC reporter, she described herself as a professional conversationalist during her youth, enjoying exploring ideas and stirring things up.

However, she went on to emphasize her growing understanding of why Britain's success is intertwined with its constitutional monarchy, which supports a free democracy.

The Queen and Miss Truss have crossed paths on numerous occasions, including their meeting at Windsor Castle last October.

As Foreign Secretary, Miss Truss had the opportunity to meet the monarch when the Queen greeted a lineup of guests at a Global Investment Summit reception attended by billionaire business leaders, politicians, and tech entrepreneurs.

Miss Truss shook the Queen's hand and appeared to perform a small curtsy for the photographs.

They have also met during Privy Council meetings, where Miss Truss kissed hands upon appointment and received the seals of office for each of her Cabinet roles.

She became a Privy Councillor for the first time in 2014 when she served as Environment Secretary.