As her predecessors have done, Liz Truss will not spend her summer vacation with the queen. Instead, the new leader of the Conservative Party will go to Aberdeenshire to be formally anointed prime minister, a ceremony that is typically held at Buckingham Palace.
Lord Salisbury, a former prime minister, referred to Balmoral Castle as “Siberia.”
Benjamin Disraeli argued that “carrying on the country’s government 600 kilometers from the capital city twice the labor.”
Tony Blair described his annual visit as “a vivid combination of the interesting, the weird, and the bizarre” and said that he only survived the weekend with the aid of strong alcoholic beverages.
His youngest kid, Leo, was conceived at the residence after Cherie Blair left her contraception in London out of “sheer shame” over the previous year’s unpacking of her laundry bag.
And David Cameron, in contrast, recalls the “pleasure” of leaving his close protection team behind when he and his wife Samantha strolled the hills.
He wrote, “The Queen desires that you enjoy perfect seclusion.”
But unlike her predecessors, Liz Truss will not meet the king for a relaxing summer vacation.
Instead, the new leader of the Conservative Party will go to Aberdeenshire to be formally anointed prime minister, a ceremony that is typically held at Buckingham Palace.
This is known as the “kissing of hands,” and it consists of a bow or curtsy and a handshake nowadays.
The audience is anticipated to last 30 minutes; nevertheless, Gordon Brown’s appointment in 2007 was followed by a “friendly and businesslike” discussion that lasted 58 minutes.
1945’s meeting between Clement Attlee and King George VI was briefer than usual because of the timidity of both men. Mr. Attlee began the talk after an awkward pause by stating, “I won the election.”
“I am aware,” the monarch responded. It was reported on the six o’clock news.
The trips of prime ministers to the private castle in the Scottish Highlands date back to the reign of Queen Victoria and normally occur during the first weekend of September.
Prince Albert purchased the Balmoral estate for his wife in 1852, and it has memorials commemorating Queen Victoria’s consort, children, and close friend and servant John Brown.
Queen Elizabeth II allows people to utilize her highland horses to explore the surrounding hills and glens. Also available are grouse hunting, deer stalking, and salmon fishing.
The “Bothy Barbecue,” once presided over by the Duke of Edinburgh and held in a stone hut originally constructed for shepherds, is the highlight of a prime minister’s vacation.
David Cameron stated in his autobiography, “The Queen takes you at breakneck speed across the moor to a bothy,” referring to a scene in which the monarch transports the subject to a remote dwelling.
“The Duke of Edinburgh is outside with tongs in hand, smoking grouse on a grill. The two of them then prepare and serve you dinner.
“The Queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Realms refills your drinks, clears your plates, and does the dishes.”
Ben Pimlott, a historian, compared Margaret Thatcher’s attendance at such a meeting to the monarch and his consort grilling sausages for the discomfited prime minister and her husband on a windswept hilltop, with each couple hopelessly attempting to seem casual.
If she is to get such an invitation, Ms. Truss will likely have to remain in government until September of next year.
However, her journey to Balmoral is an opportunity to build a connection that some of her predecessors have considered instructional and important.
Ben Pimlott defines the Queen’s function as “constitutionally sanctioned counselor and therapist” and “the only person a prime minister can confide in without fear of betrayal.”
