Christiane Amanpour Reports from London on the Queen’s Failing Health: The Country is Preparing for the ‘Inevitable’
CNN Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour reported from London Thursday on the failing health of Queen Elizabeth II.
Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday that the 96-year-old British monarch was placed under medical supervision amid health concerns from her doctors. Members of the royal family are reportedly traveling to Balmoral Castle to be with the queen during her period of rest, and newly-appointed British Prime Minister Liz Truss offered well wishes to Her Majesty:
The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime.
My thoughts – and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom – are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time.
— Liz Truss (@trussliz) September 8, 2022
Elizabeth’s health has been a recurring topic of public concern in recent months, and it came back to the forefront yesterday when the Queen pulled out of a virtual Privy Council meeting on short notice. Amanpour, appearing on CNN’s New Day, delivered a grim outlook.
“Look, it does seem that the inevitable that the country is being prepared for for so long now, with her gradual withdraw and ‘stepping back’ from public life is on the table right now,” she said. “Remember, it was just a few months ago, beginning of June of this year, that she celebrated her 70th anniversary on the throne. It is the longest reign of any monarch in history.”
Amanpour heaped praise on Elizabeth as a unifying figure for the United Kingdom, even as she reiterated that it is “inevitable” the queen would withdraw from the public spotlight in her advanced age.
“She has dealt with so much, in such minute public detail for 70 years, that whatever happens now, the whole of this country will be — whether they believe in the monarchy or not — will be looking to any further health updates because she matters very profoundly in a maternalistic way to this country.” Amanpour said. “I’ll be very frank, I think many, many people, journalists included, wondered whether she would actually survive to actually celebrate with the people her 70th jubilee, her 70th anniversary as queen. And you remember that she only appeared, if I’m not mistaken, once on the balcony.”
Watch above via CNN.
