The Royal Family head to Queen’s bedside in Balmoral

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have headed to Scotland amid reports of The Queen’s worsening health.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had been due to attend the Wellchild Awards in London this evening but it is confirmed they have cancelled their appearance.

The prince was expected to make a speech at tonight’s award ceremony, which honours the brave deeds of seriously ill children. 

Prince Charles travelled to Balmoral by helicopter from his Scottish home Birkall with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is now with The Queen, as is Princess Anne.

His siblings Prince Andrew and Prince Edward are understood to be travelling as are Princes William and Harry. The Duke of Sussex was joined by his wife, Meghan.

They had not been expected to see any other members of the Royal Family during their visit from California this week.

It has taken this crisis to bring Princes Harry and William to the same place.

The Duchess of Cambridge is at Windsor with her children. 

A royal spokesman said: ‘Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.’

Queen Elizabeth II with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Queen’s Young Leaders Awards Ceremony in 2018

Any statement about the Queen’s health is deemed to be rare and suggests the situation is serious. It is also significant that all of her immediate family are with her or en route. 

Worried Britons have already gathered outside the gates of Balmoral to pray for Her Majesty and pay their respects.

Minutes before the statement, the new Prime Minister Liz Truss was handed a note in the Commons informing her of the development as she was revealing her plans to cap energy bills for the next two years.

The Prime Minister, who was sworn in by The Queen at Balmoral on Tuesday, tweeted: ‘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.’

Labour leader Keir Starmer posted: ‘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.’

The Queen waits in the Drawing Room before receiving Liz Truss for an audience at Balmoral, Scotland on Tuesday. Today she is under the supervision of doctors amid concerns about her health

A statement about the Queen’s health is exceptionally rare and raises major concerns 

A sign noting the cancellation of today’s guard changing ceremony at Buckingham Palace

People gather outside Balmoral Castle following the statement from Buckingham Palace

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not thought to be visiting the Queen during their European tour this month. 

Yesterday they were in Dusseldorf, Germany,  to mark a year before the next Invictus Games, where they were greeted by rapturous crowds of royalist enthusiasts, while today’s schedule was intended to be focused on the Wellchild Awards. 

The duke has served as a patron of Wellchild since 2007.

The couple’s tour was the subject of mounting speculation about whether they would see other members of the Royal Family, in particular Harry’s father Prince Charles and brother Prince William.

A royal insider said the two brothers had seen each other just twice in 12 months.

Heir to the throne Charles was said to have been making regular morning visits to see his mother later in the summer as she continued to struggle with her mobility, with the unplanned visits considered highly unusual.

The Queen missed the annual Braemar Gathering highland games, which she usually attends, last weekend.

During her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, the Queen only travelled to Buckingham Palace twice, first for her Trooping the Colour balcony appearance and then for a finale after the pageant.

The Queen (pictured) has recently been receiving ‘unusual’ daily morning visits from the Prince of Wales

Royal experts say unplanned visits between Prince Charles (pictured) and his mother are uncustomary, and they are usually arranged by household staff

The Queen has remained at Balmoral since July 21, when she travelled to her highlands estate for her summer break

She secretly spent a night in hospital for tests in October and was ordered by doctors to rest for the next three months, missing the Remembrance Sunday Cenotaph service and Cop26 climate change talks.

The Queen caught Covid in February.

After experiencing mild cold-like symptoms, she said the virus left her ‘very tired and exhausted’.

The Queen is the only British monarch to have celebrated a Platinum Jubilee.

Her reign has stretched from the post-war years into a new millennium and a radically altered 21st century.

In her twilight era, she has been setting her affairs in order, using her Jubilee message to endorse her daughter-in-law, the Duchess of Cornwall, once a royal mistress, as a future queen to be crowned at the Prince of Wales’s side when he becomes king.

She also faced a run of royal troubles in her Jubilee year.

She stripped her son, the Duke of York, of his military roles, with Andrew giving up his HRH style before agreeing to pay millions to settle a civil sexual assault case.

Her beloved consort, the Duke of Edinburgh, to whom she was married for 73 years, died in April 2021.

Representatives of Harry and Meghan have been approached by MailOnline for comment, as has the Wellchild Awards.