Queen Elizabeth II’s health has come back into focus after photos of her Tuesday meeting with new British Prime Minister Liz Truss were published, showing the royal matriarch using a cane and having a blue mark on her hand.
The queen, 96, had a visible blue spot on her outstretched right hand when giving a handshake to Ms. Truss, 47, according to Australian outlet News.com.AU. Elizabeth’s other hand was holding the cane.
The two women met at Balmoral Palace, the royal family’s vacation home in Scotland, because the queen couldn’t make the trip to Buckingham Palace.
Multiple outlets compared the queen’s posture Tuesday with her previous meetings with incoming prime ministers. When greeting Boris Johnson in 2019, the queen stood more upright. That was also evident in 2016 when she met with Theresa May.
The queen’s health has been a concern after her longtime husband, Prince Philip, died in April 2021.
Last October, she was spotted using a cane for the first time in 17 years, according to the New York Post. The next month, News.com.AU reported that a sprained back caused her to miss Remembrance Day events.
In June, she also missed the Royal Ascot — a world-famous horse competition — for the first time since her coronation in 1952 and backed out of Platinum Jubilee events due to health reasons, according to the Post.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.