She's 96 years old, and yet a new photo of Queen Elizabeth has some royal fans' jaws
on the floor because, well, she looks like she's 96 years old. Why is one royal expert
so alarmed? And how are fans coming to the Queen's defense? Keep watching for the latest.
The shocking picture in question was taken during a meeting between the monarch and
Australian Governor Margaret Beazley on June 22nd, 2022. In the now-viral image,
we see the British ruler looking frail and more stooped over than we are used to.
Her hair also appears to be thinning quite a bit more.
But what really has everyone talking is a comparison of how she looks today
with a photo taken of the monarch just a year earlier, at around the same time,
while wearing a similar yellow floral dress and pearls, and in the same room in Buckingham
Palace. That she truly may be declining is creating buzz among royal experts and fans.
Indeed, Queen Elizabeth looks noticeably healthier in the older picture,
captured while then Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was visiting.
She's standing straight and her face is fuller. Her Majesty has clearly
lost weight in the past several months. So what is going on with the beloved monarch?
As royal fans are well aware, the Queen has bowed out of countless public events
over the last several months, citing ongoing mobility challenges. Notably,
she did not attend some of the high-profile events celebrating her recent Platinum Jubilee,
including the Service of Thanksgiving, which saw Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
sitting separately from Prince William and Kate Middleton — while Prince Andrew
skipped the affair after announcing he'd tested positive for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the Queen also missed Royal Ascot, a prestigious horse race, for the first time
since her coronation 70 years ago. In May, she created a stir by pulling out
of the opening of Parliament for the third time in her entire life.
Of course, before this new and shocking photo was released,
we already knew Queen Elizabeth's health was not optimal, given her decision to
pull out of many recent public events — and that she is close to 100 years old.
One has to wonder of course if Prince Philip's death in April of last year is behind Queen
Elizabeth's seemingly sharp decline. After all, the royal couple was married for nearly three
quarters of a century, and losing Philip clearly impacted the family a great deal.
"My family and I miss my father enormously. He was a much-loved and appreciated figure."
While we don't know the exact health challenges the Queen is
experiencing — other than perhaps a broken heart — it's clear her age is catching up with her.
Royal writer Daniela Elser said in a piece for Australia's News.com that
the changes we are seeing in the Queen are, quote, "nothing short of alarming."
As outsiders, it's hard to know for sure
how to explain the stark contrast between the photos taken a year apart,
and those closest to the Queen are quick to downplay any health issues. As Elser wrote,
"To be fair, aides are in a tricky spot. They can hardly come out and offer the press
a running commentary on whatever might be ailing her or offer up any sort of
detailed rundown about whatever malady du jour has caused her latest cancellation."
Meanwhile, after the jaw-dropping new photo came out, not only did royal experts weigh in,
but royal fans were on hand on Twitter to share their hot takes as well,
with one person sticking up for her by tweeting,
"She's 96, lost a husband and had covid."
The person went on to implore the media to leave her alone. Likewise, someone else commented,
"Leave Queenie alone, she's 96!
We should all hope to live that long and look as wonderful as she does."
Meanwhile, it's important to note that the Queen traveled to Scotland via train this week
for a series of events. She looked healthier in images from the trip, prompting one to wonder if
the frail-looking Queen from the other photo was more a product of lighting and the angle
at which the photo was taken. Regardless, public perception is important, as Elser noted, writing,
"One consequence of both the Prince Andrew and Megxit crises is the palace has, in part,
came across as looking squirrely and secretive. For that reason,
the Firm simply cannot afford to get the handling of this situation wrong."
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