British queen under medical supervision
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II was under medical supervision at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after concern was raised over the health of the 96-year-old monarch.
"Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen's doctors are concerned for Her Majesty's health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision," a statement from Buckingham Palace said on Thursday. "The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral."
Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, his wife, Camilla, and sister, Princess Anne, were already with the queen at Balmoral, her summer residence in Scotland. Prince William, Charles' eldest son, was also en route to the castle.
On Monday, the queen was pictured with a walking stick when former prime minister Boris Johnson formally tendered his resignation, and Liz Truss took over as the head of the British government, following her victory in the Conservative Party leadership election.
"The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime," Truss said on social media.
"My thoughts－and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom－are with Her Majesty the Queen and her family at this time."
Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said on Twitter: "Along with the rest of the country, I am deeply worried by the news from Buckingham Palace this afternoon.
"My thoughts are with Her Majesty the Queen and her family at this time, and I join everyone across the United Kingdom in hoping for her recovery."
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Twitter: "All of us are feeling profoundly concerned at reports of Her Majesty's health.
"My thoughts and wishes are with the Queen and all of the Royal Family at this time."
The queen, Britain's longest-reigning sovereign and the world's oldest monarch, has been suffering from what Buckingham Palace has called "episodic mobility problems" since the end of last year.
In May, she missed the State Opening of Parliament, with Prince Charles reading her opening speech.
She was also absent from several high-profile events during Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier in the summer to mark her 70th anniversary on the throne.
Since 1952, she has been queen of Britain and more than a dozen other countries, including Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and earlier this year marked the anniversary of her ascension to the throne with four days of national celebrations in June.
Elizabeth came to the throne after the death of her father King George VI on Feb 6, 1952, when she was just 25.
She was crowned in June the following year. The first televised coronation was a foretaste of a new world in which the lives of the royals were to become increasingly scrutinized by the media.
China ties
The queen has profound relations with China.
During President Xi Jinping's four-day state visit to the UK in October 2015, Xi met with three generations of the British royal family and attended a private lunch and state banquet given by the queen.
Xi presented the queen and her husband, Prince Philip, with two music albums of his wife, the famous singer Peng Liyuan, after the private lunch at Buckingham Palace. In exchange, the queen gave a collection of William Shakespeare's sonnets to Shakespeare-fan President Xi.
In February, Xi sent a message of sympathy to the queen over her COVID-19 infection and he wished her a speedy recovery.
In October 1986, Elizabeth became the first British monarch to visit China. She met then-Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping during her visit to Beijing, less than two years after China and the UK agreed on the future of Hong Kong.
Agencies contributed to this story.
