The Queen will not be able to travel to London to host Boris Johnson and his successor at Buckingham Palace next Tuesday, royal officials have confirmed after saying the politicians will visit her at Balmoral.
Palace aides revealed the 96-year-old will host Johnson alongside Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak at her Scottish Highlands residence, where she is on her traditional summer holiday.
The Queen traditionally holds audiences with incoming and outgoing prime ministers at Buckingham Palace – but Mr Johnson and the new Tory leader, who will be asked to form a government, will travel to Balmoral.
The September 6 ceremony will mark the first time a prime minister has formally resigned or been appointed away from Buckingham Palace during Her Majesty’s 70-year reign, which has faced “persistent mobility problems”.
It said royal aides want to avoid having to make any last-minute alternative arrangements if the Queen suffers from mobility problems next week.
British media, however, say there is precedent for a prime minister being appointed away from Buckingham Palace more than a century ago, with King Edward VII in Biarritz when Herbert Henry Asquith succeeded Henry Campbell-Bannerman.
The winner of the race to succeed Johnson as prime minister will be announced next Monday.