Ninety-six-year-old Queen Elizabeth II may be slowly handing over power to her son Prince Charles and grandson Prince William, but the monarch is still likely to be embroiled in Britain’s latest political drama: the resignation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
While the Queen does not vote and remains neutral on political matters, she liaises with sitting Prime Ministers, meets with them and holds regular discussions.
British media reported on Wednesday that Johnson had his weekly phone call with the queen, although Buckingham Palace declined to say when asked on Thursday whether the two had spoken again – particularly regarding the end of his prime ministership.
As Johnson is expected to remain in office until the autumn, it is likely that his weekly discussions with the monarch will continue until a replacement is chosen.
While it is not known who will replace Johnson when the person is eventually named, they will be expected to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace, where the monarch will ask if they will form a government.
“There are actually two possible answers to this question. The most common is acceptance,” the official royal website said.
In July 2019, the second female Prime Minister of Great Britain, Theresa May, visited Buckingham Palace, where she formally submitted her resignation to the Queen.
“May bowed to Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday afternoon and resigned,” The Washington Post reported at the time, before calling Johnson the new UK leader “shaggy-haired.”
In her seven decades on the throne, the Queen has seen 14 prime ministers come and go: Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home, Harold Wilson, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May and now Johnson.
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