HOC Speaker announcing the Queen's health has deteriorated.

[MrsRobinsonsHandprints]

I'm not really a Royalist, but this is sad news. The fact it has been announced in the HOC makes me think she must be really quite unwell.

She is just such a constant, a link to a world that no longer exists. A person that actually believes in duty to the country.

Prince Charles and Camilla were already nearby at Birkhall.

It will be the end of an era and unlikely we ever have such a devoted and enduring monarch again. If she passes it will be such a strange unsettling time especially when things already feel fragile.

The newsreaders are already in black tie. They know.

@Yesthatismychildsigh I came on to say the same. I think it’ll be within the next few hours. Apparently BBC are now switching to a rolling news bulletin.

Godspeed, Your Majesty, and thank you.

Both Wessexes are reportedly on their way.

I expect the Duchess of Cambridge will stay with her DC who presumably went to school as usual this morning and they'll need their mum.

I am at work alone, sounds silly but I want to be with family when the news comes.

My royalist MIL has already called to say come for tea tonight.

I feel quite sad that we will never see a Christmas day queen's speech :( Christmas day will never be the same again:(

Agreed, I think Kate will stay at home with the kids for this. Great grandchildren aren't really required.

That's exactly what I said. I reckon she's already gone and they're just giving the family time to get themselves together ☹️ I always said that Kate would have her first baby, have a cup of tea and put her slap on and then make the announcement and I was right on that one 😉

This!

It's a big wedding anniversary for us in a few days and DH has booked us a weekend away in London. I'm unsure what to do about it. I'm no major royalist or anything but it kind of seems disrespectful to be celebrating something personal during what is almost certainly going to be a period of national mourning. I guess lots of stuff will be cancelled anyway, especially in the capital, and we have theatre tickets booked, so the decision might be made for us. The hotel is paid for and non refundable though so maybe we should just go anyway. I really don't know .

She's been a peacekeeper amongst the chaos.

@MrsAvocet I don’t think things like the theatre will be cancelled - but they’ll mark it in some way.

I am a Londoner living overseas and feel very sad to not be in London / the UK at the moment. I’d still go if I were you.

@MMrsAvocet of course it's not disrespectful! Happy anniversary, go and enjoy celebrating it.

No other grandchildren mentioned as visiting?

@MrsAvocet go and enjoy your weekend.

As and when she does die, Charles will become monarch, meaning that Harry will be the son of the king. That’s a more important position than the other grandchildren will have (apart from William,
obviously!). So maybe that’s why?

My sister works in communications for local government . They’ve been told she’s already passed away and an announcement will be made after 4pm.

Isn't this supposed to be kept private

until the announcement

I do wish people would stop trying to imply some insider knowledge. Stop attention seeking.

It's hard to know what will happen, I imagine very few MNers were around or able to comprehend what was going on, when George VI died. And times have moved on, I don't think we'll see a mass of places closing and sending workers/school children, etc home. I imagine when the time comes, we might get a bank holiday and see a lot of places closed for the funeral (I think there was a day off for the Queen Mother's state funeral but my memory might be off), but that is jumping the gun at the moment.

Just watched a wokman remove the no entry and no parking signs from the pole at the gates of Balmoral - I wonder if thats where they would put any announcement that might be made.

She probably won’t for much longer if you keep posting second hand information from her.