Will Queen Elizabeth Step Down Due To Her Health?

On October 21, The New York Times reported that Queen Elizabeth II was hospitalized earlier in the week, although details were not provided as to her condition and the specific nature of the hospital stay. Buckingham Palace released a statement disclosing that the queen had "reluctantly accepted medical advice to rest for the next few days," adding a vague note that the hospital stay was for "some preliminary investigations." While she is back in her residence at Windsor Castle, the queen's health has caused her to cancel upcoming engagements, including a trip to Northern Ireland to mark its foundation. In her typical fashion, the Queen sent her "warmest good wishes" to the people of Ireland in lieu of her presence, as per ET.

As a source told ET, the queen's condition is likely due to her age and "packed schedule." Earlier in the week she hosted a reception at Windsor Castle to mark the Global Investment Summit and spoke with Dame Cindy Kiro via Zoom, who is set to become the Governor General of New Zealand. Despite the hospital stay, Elizabeth is also scheduled to participate in a number of engagements in the coming weeks, including a reception for the COP-26 Summit in early November, according to the royal family's website. The concerns around the queen's health have caused many to question whether she will step down from the throne and abdicate her duties as the longest-reigning British monarch.

Queen Elizabeth II's former press spokesman Dickie Arbiter has assured the public that the reigning monarch will not be stepping down from her position as the Queen of the United Kingdom. In an interview with "Good Morning Britain" on Thursday, Arbiter stated that the Queen "was anointed in the eyes of God" and will not allow her health concerns to force her to step down from her duty. "Anybody [who] decides to tell the queen, 'You gotta step back, you can't do [it] anymore,' is really fighting with fire," he said, adding that if anything, the queen will cut back on her official engagements to give herself time to recover and to focus on her health. "She will know what she can do. We've got to look at what's happened over the past month," Arbiter elaborated. "She had a very strenuous reception at Windsor Castle a couple of nights ago. And that probably took its toll, which is probably the reason why they canceled going to Northern Ireland." 

The queen's former press spokesman was not the only figurehead to shoot down the rumors. Following the death of Prince Philip in April, royal historian Hugo Vickers told Reuters that "There is every indication the queen is in extremely good health and with luck she will continue to be our queen for as long as possible." The queen is expected to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, to mark 70 years as monarch, in 2022.