(UVALDE, Texas) — Two victims have been air-lifted to San Antonio Memorial Hospital following a shooting Thursday in Uvalde, Texas, police said.
The Uvalde Police Department said it responded to a shooting “with injured victims” at Uvalde Memorial Park around 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
This was a suspected gang-related shooting, the Texas Department of Public Safety said, adding that it was working with the police department and sheriff’s office.
“This information is preliminary, as the situation develops we will work with local law enforcement to provide updates,” DPS said.
San Antonio ABC affiliate KSAT reported that police said two juveniles have been hospitalized following the shooting, and authorities are looking for a juvenile suspect.
Authorities said it’s “not a dangerous situation for the general public,” KSAT reported.
Uvalde police advised residents to avoid the area.
More than three months ago, on May 24, 19 students and two teachers were killed in a shooting massacre at Robb Elementary School. Just this week, on Tuesday, students returned to the classroom for the school year.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Kate Holland and Matthew Fuhrman contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden said in a statement on Queen Elizabeth II’s death that “the thoughts and prayers of people all across the United States are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in their grief.”
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch,” Biden and first lady Jill Biden said Thursday in a written statement, shortly after the queen’s death was announced. “She defined an era.”
“In a world of constant change,” they continued, “she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her.”
The Bidens said the late queen helped make the U.S.-U.K. relationship “special.”
“Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States,” they wrote.
Senior advisers informed Biden of the queen’s death during a meeting in the Oval Office, according to a White House official.
He ordered flags flown at half-staff at the White House and on all public U.S. buildings around the world until sundown on the day her body is laid to rest. After her funeral, her body is expected to be buried at Windsor Castle outside London.
The Bidens said they looked forward “to continuing a close friendship” with her son, now King Charles III, and his wife, Camilla, the queen consort, “in the years ahead.”
“We send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, who are not only mourning their Queen, but their dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother,” they said. “Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world.”
The news of the death of the queen, who was 96, broke earlier Thursday as White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was holding a regular news briefing. Jean-Pierre learned of Buckingham Palace’s announcement from reporters.
“Our hearts go to the people of the United Kingdom, to the queen and to her family,” Jean-Pierre said.
At the Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also ordered flags lowered to half-staff.
“Today, Americans join the people of the United Kingdom in mourning the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II,” Pelosi tweeted. “Over her seven decades on the throne, Her Majesty was a pillar of leadership in the global arena and a devoted friend of freedom.”
Earlier Thursday, Biden spoke with British Prime Minister Liz Truss about the queen and told Truss he was “thinking very much” about the ailing monarch, the White House said.
On a pre-scheduled call with European leaders about Ukraine, which White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters was ongoing early Thursday afternoon, the president said he and first lady Jill Biden were “thinking” of the British royal family.
“He did convey to Prime Minister Truss, who is on the video teleconference, that he and Dr. Biden are thinking very much of the queen and the family and the people of the United Kingdom,” Kirby said.
Biden has been briefed on developments and “will be updated throughout the day concerning news out of the United Kingdom,” Kirby said.
“His and the first lady’s thoughts are solidly and squarely with the queen today, and her family,” Kirby said.
Buckingham Palace has said earlier Thursday that Queen Elizabeth’s doctors were “concerned for” her health, and had “recommended she remain under medical supervision.”
Queen Elizabeth met 13 sitting U.S. presidents in her lifetime, and met every U.S. president since World War II, with the exception of Lyndon B. Johnson.
Biden met with the queen last year during a trip to the United Kingdom — his first travel abroad as president.
He had previously met the queen in 1982 as a U.S. senator, during another trip to the U.K.
ABC News’ Allison Pecorin contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Steve Bannon, a onetime political adviser to former President Donald Trump, pleaded not guilty in Manhattan criminal court Thursday to charges of defrauding donors to the “We Build the Wall” fundraising campaign for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The six-count indictment charges Bannon and “We Build the Wall” itself with two counts of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison. There are additional felony counts of conspiracy and scheme to defraud along with one misdemeanor count of conspiracy to defraud.
Bannon was released following his arraignment and is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 4.
“I’m going to stay and fight this,” he told reporters as he left the courthouse. “With this case, I’m begging you to remember the presumption of innocence.”
Earlier Thursday, as he arrived at the courthouse to surrender to authorities, he told reporters the charges were “all about 60 days to the election.”
“This is an irony, on the very day the mayor of this city has a delegation down on the border, they are persecuting people here who try to stop them on the border,” Bannon said, referring to a fact-finding delegation New York City Mayor Eric Adams has sent to Texas following the decision by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to bus migrants to New York.
The state charges, brought by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, resemble federal charges for which Bannon received a pardon by Trump, and allege that Bannon and “We Build the Wall” defrauded 430 Manhattan-based donors out of $33,600. Across New York state, there were more than 11,000 donors defrauded out of more than $730,000, according to the indictment.
The pardon by Trump only applied to the federal case and does not preclude the state charges.
The indictment quotes Bannon telling donors at a June 24, 2019, fundraising event, “Remember, all the money you give goes to building the wall.”
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, speaking at a news conference announcing the charges Thursday afternoon, said that We Build the Wall raised $15 million from donors across the country based on “false pretenses,” citing a pledge organizers made that the group’s president would take no salary.
Instead, the campaign’s president, Brian Kolfage, received a salary of $250,000 that was secretly funneled to him by Bannon, who “directed” We Build the Wall to transfer tens of thousands of dollars to a nonprofit that he controlled, which then paid Kolfage, “thereby obscuring the source of funds,” according to Bragg.
“It is a crime to turn a profit by lying to donors, and in New York, you will be held accountable,” Bragg said. “As alleged, Stephen Bannon acted as the architect of a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud thousands of donors across the country — including hundreds of Manhattan residents.”
“Mr. Bannon took advantage of his donors’ political views to secure millions of dollars which he then misappropriated. Mr. Bannon lied to his donors to enrich himself and his friend,” added New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose office participated in the investigation.
Kolfage and Andrew Badolato, both of Florida, were indicted with Bannon in the federal case and pleaded guilty in April in connection with their role in the alleged scheme to defraud “We Build the Wall” donors.
A fourth defendant, Timothy Shea, stood trial in a case that ended in a mistrial.
Kolfage and Badolato are not named in the state indictment, but are referenced as co-conspirators 1 and 2, a sign they could have assisted Manhattan prosecutors build their case against Bannon.
The quartet allegedly used some of the $25 million raised through “We Build the Wall” on personal expenses, including a luxury SUV, a golf cart, and cosmetic surgery, the federal indictment said.
“The defendants defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all of that money would be spent on construction,” then-U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said when the charges were announced in 2020.
“My sole intent was to raise funds and donate those funds to the federal government,” Kolfage told the judge in the federal case.
“And you promised that 100% of the money would be used to build that wall? Is that right?” Judge Analisa Torres asked.
“Yes, your honor,” Kolfage replied.
“After keeping that large sum of money for yourself, you did not tell the IRS you received the money. Is that right?” Torres asked.
“Yes, your honor,” Kolfage answered.
Bannon’s surrender Thursday makes him the third defendant pardoned by Trump to subsequently face charges brought by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Paul Manafort, Trump’s one-time campaign boss, was charged with running a two-year scheme to obtain more than $19 million in residential mortgage loans based on fraudulent representations to various banks. The New York Court of Appeals ultimately threw out the case, deeming it too similar to Manafort’s federal conviction and therefore double jeopardy.
In the state case against Bannon, double jeopardy is not expected to apply because a jury was never convened to weigh the federal fraud charges over “We Build the Wall.”
Ken Kurson, a former editor of the New York Observer, associate of Jared Kushner and speechwriter for Rudy Giuliani, was pardoned by Trump in a federal cyberstalking case. Kurson eventually pleaded guilty to two state-level misdemeanors that accused him of spying on his former wife’s computer.
Kurson is due back in court next week so the judge can make sure he’s complying with his community service.
Trump pardoned Kurson during his final moments in office, but then-Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance announced an indictment seven months later that charged Kurson with eavesdropping and computer trespass.
Kurson, in 2015, surreptitiously installed spyware on his ex-wife’s computer from his work computer at the Observer in 2015, according to the indictment.
“We will not accept presidential pardons as get-out-of-jail-free cards for the well-connected in New York,” Vance said in a statement at the time the charges against Kurson were announced in 2021.
(LONDON) — Queen Elizabeth II’s death at age 96 comes over one year after the death of her husband, Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 at the age of 99.
Their deaths marked the end of a seven-decade love story that started before the queen ascended to the throne.
“He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments, but he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years,” the queen said in 1997, paying tribute to her husband on their golden wedding anniversary. “And I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.”
The Greek-born Prince Philip first met then-Princess Elizabeth in 1934 at the wedding of Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark and Prince George, the Duke of Kent.
Philip and Elizabeth shared a great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria.
Philip was a direct descendant of Princess Alice, the third child of Queen Victoria. Queen Elizabeth is a direct descendant of Queen Victoria’s oldest son, who became King Edward VII, according to the royal family’s website.
After their first meeting, Elizabeth and Philip met several times over the course of the next decade, and a very young Princess Elizabeth became smitten with the blond, blue-eyed Philip. Her governess recorded that Philip’s “Viking good looks” made quite an impression on the princess.
The couple exchanged letters and, in 1946, Philip, then in his mid-20s, was given permission by King George VI to marry his daughter, on the condition that they wait until Elizabeth was 21.
Her father’s courtiers, however, were less impressed.
There were reportedly reservations about Philip’s lack of financial resources and foreign roots, and King George VI was also reportedly concerned about his daughter’s young age.
The couple endured the doubts and married on Nov. 20, 1947, in a royal wedding in Westminster Abbey.
Philip renounced his Greek and Danish titles and adopted the anglicized surname of his mother’s family, calling himself Lt. Philip Mountbatten. His new father-in-law, the king, granted him the titles of Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich.
For several years after their marriage, Philip and Elizabeth lived a relatively normal life. He continued to serve in the Royal Navy, and the couple soon had their two oldest children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne.
Philip and Elizabeth’s lives changed in 1952 when, while Elizabeth was touring Kenya, her father died.
She became Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 25, and Philip gave up his career in the Royal Navy to support his wife.
The queen did not give her husband the formal title of “prince consort,” as was done in the past. Five years after the queen ascended to the throne, though, in 1957, she made Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, a prince of the United Kingdom.
Philip, who had four children with the queen, had reportedly been angry to learn, after his wife’s accession, that his children would never bear his last name, according to a 2012 biography of the queen by author Sally Bedell Smith.
“I’m nothing but a bloody amoeba,” Philip reportedly said, according to the book. “I am the only man in the country not allowed to give his name to his own children.”
Although they didn’t bear his surname, Philip took a very active role in the upbringing of his children — Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward — and was very protective of both his family and the family business into which he married.
He was by Elizabeth’s side on all 251 of the official overseas visits she made before Philip passed away, according to the palace.
For Philip’s 90th birthday in 2011, the queen made him a lord high admiral.
On their 70th wedding anniversary in November 2017, Elizabeth appointed Philip to be a knight grand cross of the Royal Victorian Order for his services to the sovereign.
The couple celebrated their last wedding anniversary together, their 73rd, on Nov. 20, 2020.
In honor of the anniversary, Buckingham Palace released a photo showing the queen and Philip looking at a card made by three of their great-grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the children of Prince William and Duchess Kate.
Elizabeth and Philip are survived by three sons, Princes Charles, Andrew and Edward; one daughter, Princess Anne; eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
(LONDON) — Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, has died at the age of 96, Buckingham Palace announced Thursday.
With the queen’s death come questions about what happens next, as the world has not witnessed a changeover in Britain’s monarchy in 70 years.
The U.K. government and the royal family have been planning for years to ensure a smooth transition after the queen’s death, and to appropriately honor her history-making reign.
Here’s what’s likely to take place in the coming days.
When and where will Elizabeth’s funeral take place?
The queen’s funeral will take place 10 days after her death, following the traditional observance of a national period of mourning.
Elizabeth’s funeral is expected to be held at Westminster Abbey, which would make her the first sovereign to have a funeral there since 1760.
The queen’s funeral is expected to be attended by dignitaries and heads of states from around the world.
Westminster Abbey normally holds 2,200 congregants, but extra seating can be arranged to accommodate more than 8,000 people, as it did at the queen’s coronation.
Where will the queen be buried?
The queen is expected to be laid to rest in a private burial at St. George’s Chapel, on the grounds of Windsor Castle, where she spent many of her final years.
The queen will be buried next to her father King George VI, her sister Princess Margaret, and Prince Philip, the queen’s beloved late-husband of 73 years.
Will there be a procession or memorial for the public to attend?
The queen’s coffin is set to lie in state in Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster to allow the public to pay their last respects.
Crowds of people have continued to grow outside the gates of Buckingham Palace since the queen’s death was confirmed.
When will Prince Charles’ coronation take place?
Charles, the eldest child of Elizabeth and Philip, became King Charles III upon his mother’s death.
The Accession Council, led by government figures, is expected to meet at St. James’s Palace in London the day after the queen’s death to formally proclaim Charles the new sovereign.
Charles’ coronation is likely to take place several months from now.
The queen’s coronation, for example, took place on June 2, 1953, 14 months after she ascended to the throne upon her father’s death.
Will Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, be crowned alongside Charles?
Yes, Camilla and Charles are expected to be crowned side-by-side.
In February, the queen requested that Camilla be known as Queen Consort when Charles became king.
Queen Consort is the title given to the spouse of a king, and under U.K. law, whoever is married to a king would immediately become that and be known as queen.
When Charles and Camilla married in 2005 there was some debate as to what title Camilla, a divorcee, would take when Charles became king. At the time of their wedding, a spokesperson for the couple suggested she would take the title Princess Consort.
The queen’s request, laid out in a letter marking her 70 years on the throne, was the first time the 96-year-old queen had publicly addressed her daughter-in-law’s role in the future monarchy.
Will Prince William and Kate receive new titles?
Now that Charles is king, his oldest son Prince William becomes heir to the throne and becomes the Duke of Cornwall.
With the new title, William inherits the Duchy of Cornwall, the private estate that was established in 1337 to provide financial independence for the heir to the throne and his family. Kate, formerly the Duchess of Cambridge, inherits the new title of the Duchess of Cornwall.
Charles still has to appoint his son as the Prince of Wales, which is expected to happen sometime in the coming days.
William, Kate and their three children — Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte — moved this summer from Kensington Palace to Adelaide Cottage, a four-bedroom cottage on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
With the death of the queen and the ascension of their grandfather Charles to king, George, Louis and Charlotte have each moved up in the line of succession.
Is Prince Harry still in the line of succession?
Charles’s youngest son Prince Harry is still in the line of succession as he is still a member of the royal family.
He is now fifth in the line of succession, and his two children Archie and Lilibet are now sixth and seventh, respectively.
Harry and his wife Meghan are expected to keep their titles as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The couple stepped down from their roles as senior working royals in 2020.
(LONDON) — Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is under “medical supervision” on Thursday, according to Buckingham Palace.
The queen is being monitored by doctors at Balmoral Castle, the royal family’s estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
At age 96, Elizabeth is Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. She ascended to the throne in 1952 and, in June, celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne.
The queen’s royal family members, including her four children, are now gathering by her side in Balmoral, according to the palace.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Sep 08, 3:36 PM EDT
Meet the new king
The eldest son of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch has taken his late mother’s place on the throne.
King Charles III is the first child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Upon the death of his mother on Sept. 8, Charles succeeded her as king of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms.
Charles, 73, was born at Buckingham Palace in London in 1948. He was just 3 years old when he became the heir apparent as his mother acceded to the throne as queen, following the death of her father, King George VI.
Sep 08, 3:26 PM EDT
Biden orders flags to half-staff
In a new proclamation, President Joe Biden has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff “until sunset, on the day of interment,” as a “mark of the respect for the memory of Queen Elizabeth II.”
“I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment,” the proclamation reads.
He continued, “I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.”
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Sep 08, 3:15 PM EDT
Former US presidents react over queen’s death
Former presidents of the United States have released statements in reaction to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
President Bill Clinton said in a statement that he and former first lady Hillary Clinton are mourning the passing of Her Majesty with the royal family and the rest of the world, describing her life as “extraordinary.”
“Throughout her remarkable 70-year reign, she led Britain through great transformations with unfailing grace, dignity, and genuine care for the welfare of all its people,” Bill Clinton said. “In sunshine or storm, she was a source of stability, serenity and strength.”
Bill Clinton added that he and Hillary Clinton “will always be grateful” to the kindness the queen showed them during visits to Buckingham Palace in 1995 and 2000.
President George W. Bush said in a statement that he and former first lady Laura Bush were “honored” to know the queen, describing her as a “woman of great intellect, charm and wit.”
“Spending time at Buckingham Palace, and having tea with Her Majesty — and her Corgis — is among our fondest memories of the presidency,” George W. Bush said.
The queen was able to lead the U.K. through dark moments with “her confidence in her people and her vision for a brighter tomorrow,” George W. Bush said.
“Our world benefitted from her steady resolve, and we are grateful for her decades of service as sovereign,” George W. Bush said. “Americans in particular appreciate her strong and steadfast friendship.”
President Barack Obama said in a statement that he and former first lady Michelle Obama were “lucky enough to come to know Her Majesty,” adding that the queen “meant a great deal to” to them.
“Back when we were just beginning to navigate life as President and First Lady, she welcomed us to the world stage with open arms and extraordinary generosity,” Barack Obama said. “Time and again, we were struck by her warmth, the way she put people at ease, and how she brought her considerable humor and charm to moments of great pomp and circumstance.”
Barack Obama continued, “Like so many, Michelle and I are grateful to have witnessed Her Majesty’s dedicated leadership, and we are awed by her legacy of tireless, dignified public service. Our thoughts are with her family and the people of the United Kingdom at this difficult time.”
President Donald Trump also released a statement following the news of the queen’s death, saying that he and former first lady Melania Trump will always cherish their time together with the queen and will “never forget Her Majesty’s generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor.”
“Melania and I are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” Donald Trump said on Truth Social, his social media platform. “Together with our family and fellow Americans, we send our sincere condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom during this time of great sorrow and grief. Queen Elizabeth’s historic and remarkable reign left a tremendous legacy of peace and prosperity for Great Britain.”
Sep 08, 2:47 PM EDT
UK thrived under Elizabeth’s reign, says Liz Truss
The newly appointed prime minister of the United Kingdom, Liz Truss, emphasized the importance of Queen Elizabeth II’s rule while addressing the death of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch on Thursday.
“Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built,” Truss said outside of 10 Downing Street on Thursday. “Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country it is today because of her.”
Among the accomplishments Truss highlighted were Elizabeth’s accomplishment of growing the Commonwealth from a small group of seven countries to a “family of 56 nations” as well as visiting more than 100 countries as sovereign.
The queen, who met with Truss on Tuesday at Balmoral, invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party, to form a new government as prime minister, an act emblematic of the queen’s devotion to duty, Truss said.
“Earlier this week, at 96, she remained determined to carry out her duties as she appointed me as her 15th prime minister,” Truss said, describing her as the “the very spirit of Great Britain.”
Truss also extended condolences to the now-King Charles III, calling for the country to support him in the passing of the crown.
“We offer him our loyalty, and devotion, just as his mother devoted so much to so many for so long,” Truss said.
Sep 08, 2:21 PM EDT
Charles on queen’s passing: ‘A moment of the greatest sadness’
The queen’s eldest son and new king of England — who will be known as King Charles III — released a statement following his mother’s passing.
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” Charles said.
“I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world,” the statement continued.
Sep 08, 2:06 PM EDT
UK lowers flags to half-mast as rainbows appear
The U.K. ordered all flags to fly at half-mast in the wake of the queen’s death Thursday.
In a bit of fortuitous timing, the rain clouds eased up following the announcement and rainbows appeared over Buckingham Palace.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also ordered the flags to fly at half-mast over the Capitol in tribute to the monarch, according to her deputy chief of staff.
Sep 08, 2:02 PM EDT
How the British royal line of succession changes
With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, there is a new line of succession to the British throne.
The queen’s oldest son, Charles, the Prince of Wales, is now the new king. Members of his direct family — including his sons, Princes William and Harry — are now higher in the line of succession.
In general, succession falls to the first-born child of the heir and their children, followed by the next oldest sibling of the heir and their offspring and so on.
Sep 08, 1:51 PM EDT
What comes next after queen’s passing?
With the queen’s death come questions about what happens next, as the world has not witnessed a changeover in Britain’s monarchy in 70 years.
The U.K. government and the royal family have been planning for years to ensure a smooth transition after the queen’s death, and to appropriately honor her history-making reign.
Buckingham Palace announced Thursday that Queen Elizabeth II has died. She was 96.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the palace said in a statement. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Elizabeth is survived by her three sons, Charles, Prince of Wales; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex; her daughter, Anne, Princess Royal; her eight grandchildren, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge; Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex; Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie; Peter and Zara Phillips; Lady Louise Windsor; and James, Viscount Severn. She is also survived by 12 great-grandchildren.
Her oldest son, Charles, succeeds her as king. His wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is expected to become queen consort, a title that Elizabeth requested at the time of her Platinum Jubilee in June.
Charles’s oldest son, William, is now heir apparent to the throne.
Sep 08, 1:10 PM EDT
Biden briefed on queen’s health, White House says
U.S. President Joe Biden has been briefed on Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and “will be updated throughout the day concerning news out of the United Kingdom,” given the reports of her health, White House spokesperson John Kirby said Thursday
“His and the first lady’s thoughts are solidly and squarely with the queen today and her family,” Kirby told reporters.
Biden also expressed that his thoughts are with U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss, who took office on Tuesday and is currently taking part in a previously scheduled phone call with Biden and other allies focused on “continued support for Ukraine,” according to Kirby.
“I can tell you that in this video conference that the president is having as we speak, I can tell you that he did convey to Prime Minister Truss, who is on the video teleconference, that he and Dr. Biden are thinking very much of the queen and the family and the people of the United Kingdom,” Kirby said.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Sep 08, 10:05 AM EDT
UK prime minister ‘deeply concerned’ about queen
U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss took to Twitter on Thursday to say that her “thoughts — and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom — are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time.”
“The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime,” Truss tweeted.
Truss, who was recently selected as the new leader of the United Kingdom’s ruling Conservative Party, had an audience with the queen at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Tuesday, during which she was formally asked to form a new government as prime minister after Boris Johnson’s official resignation. It was the first time in the queen’s 70-year reign that the ceremonial transfer of power was held at Balmoral, rather than at Buckingham Palace in London.
Sep 08, 9:41 AM EDT
Senior royals head to Balmoral Castle
Senior members of the British royal family are either at or on their way to Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where Queen Elizabeth II remains “under medical supervision.”
The queen’s oldest child and the heir to her throne, Charles, prince of Wales; and his wife, Camilla, duchess of Cornwall; as well as the queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, are already at Balmoral, according to their respective spokespersons.
Meanwhile, the queen’s other sons, Prince Andrew, duke of York; and Prince Edward, earl of Wessex; as well as Edward’s wife, Sophie, countess of Wessex; Charles’ two sons, Prince William, duke of Cambridge; Prince Harry, duke of Sussex; and Harry’s wife, Meghan, duchess of Sussex, are all on their way to Balmoral, their respective spokespersons confirmed.
(LONDON) — Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II died hours after Buckingham Palace announced she was “under medical supervision” because “doctors are concerned” about her health.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” the royal family said in a statement Thursday evening local time.
Earlier in the day, the palace announced she was under medical supervision “following further evaluation” that morning.
The 96-year-old monarch had spent the summer at Balmoral Castle, the royal family’s estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. A royal source told ABC News earlier on Thursday that immediate family members had been informed of the situation.
The queen’s oldest child, Charles, Prince of Wales; and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; as well as the queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, were at Balmoral, according to their respective spokespersons. The queen’s other sons, Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex; as well as Edward’s wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex; Charles’ two sons, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge; and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex began to make their way to Balmoral, their respective spokespersons confirmed earlier Thursday.
On Wednesday, the queen canceled a meeting of her Privy Council and was told to rest, a source at Buckingham Palace told ABC News. At the time, the palace would not comment on the queen’s health beyond saying she was heeding doctors’ advice to rest.
After the palace’s announcement of her health on Thursday morning, U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss took to Twitter to say that her “thoughts — and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom — are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time.”
“The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime,” Truss tweeted.
Truss, who was recently selected as the new leader of the U.K.’s ruling Conservative Party, had an audience with the queen at Balmoral Castle on Tuesday, during which she was formally asked to form a new government as prime minister after Boris Johnson’s official resignation. It was the first time in the queen’s 70-year reign that the ceremonial transfer of power was held at Balmoral, rather than at Buckingham Palace in London.
The queen faced several health conditions over the past year, including COVID-19 and an overnight hospitalization for what Buckingham Palace described at the time as “preliminary investigations.”
In July, British newspaper The Telegraph reported that Buckingham Palace changed the details of the queen’s job description in its annual report by swapping out the “Queen’s programme” of engagements for more general “visits in royal programmes.” Instead, members of the royal family, including Charles, the heir apparent to the British throne, would step in and support some of her duties.
A palace source told ABC News at the time that these changes were not “drastic” but a small update. The Sovereign Grant report indicated that the queen’s role still comprised two key elements: Head of State and Head of Nation, which means that as Head of State, she “must fulfill” specific duties.
In May, Charles stepped in for his mother when she missed the opening of Parliament due to mobility issues. It was the first time in six decades that she was not present. Instead, her crown was placed next to Charles.
(LONDON) — The queen is preceded in death by her husband of more than 70 years, Prince Philip, who died April 9, 2021, at the age of 99.
Queen Elizabeth is survived by her three sons, Princes Charles, Andrew and Edward; one daughter, Princess Anne; eight grandchildren, Princes William and Harry of Wales, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York, and Peter and Zara Phillips, as well as Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn. She is also survived by 12 great-grandchildren.
Her eldest son, Charles, the Prince of Wales, succeeds her as king. His wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, is expected to become queen consort, a title that Queen Elizabeth requested at the time of her Platinum Jubilee.
Charles’s eldest son, Prince William, is now heir to the throne.
The queen was hospitalized in late October 2021 for what Buckingham Palace described as “preliminary investigations.” After a one-night hospital stay, the queen returned home to Windsor Castle, where she resumed her work, the palace said at the time.
A few weeks later, on Nov. 14, the queen missed the annual Remembrance Sunday service after she sprained her back, Buckingham Palace said in a statement at the time.
In February 2022, the queen tested positive for COVID-19 but had only “mild cold-like symptoms” as a result of the virus, according to the palace.
Two months later, in April, the queen celebrated her 96th birthday at Sandringham, her country estate in Norfolk.
In June, the queen celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne. She attended just three events during the four-day celebration due to what Buckingham Palace described at the time as “some discomfort.”
A history-making female monarch
When Queen Elizabeth came to the throne in 1952, some Britons were so thrilled by the young queen they declared it was a second “Elizabethan Age.”
Elizabeth II would come to embody not only the British monarchy but a tradition of doing one’s duty and maintaining a stiff upper lip.
On her 21st birthday, she pledged to her future subjects: “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.”
It was a promise she never forgot.
Queen Elizabeth, the longest-lived British monarch, reigned through 14 American presidents, and just as many British prime ministers, proving herself a savvy stateswoman and a constant leader on the world stage.
The queen, who traveled on more than 271 state visits during her reign, was sometimes the only female on the stage with world leaders, and she always stayed mum on her personal political opinions, proving her mastery of “soft diplomacy.”
As recently as 2021, she met with world leaders at a Group of 7 summit meeting in Cornwall in June, and hosted President Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, at Windsor Castle afterward.
In addition to being sovereign of the United Kingdom and 15 Commonwealth realms, she was also the head of the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 54 independent countries.
During her reign, she visited nearly every country in the Commonwealth — missing only Cameroon and Rwanda — and made many repeat visits, according to the royal family’s official website.
Always committed to the service aspect of her role, the queen had links, either as royal patron or president, to over 600 charities, military associations, professional bodies and public service organizations, according to the royal family’s official website.
Well into her 90s, the queen continued to attend royal engagements, from Buckingham Palace garden parties and receptions to knighting ceremonies, state banquets and travels throughout the Commonwealth.
She was a modern monarch who kept up with the times, including sending her first tweet in 2014 and publishing her first Instagram post in 2019.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Queen Elizabeth began doing video calls so that she could continue to connect with people while working from home.
Queen Elizabeth’s path to the throne
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born in London on April 21, 1926, a granddaughter of King George V and the first child of Prince Albert, the Duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, a daughter of the Scottish nobility.
Four years after Elizabeth’s birth, the Yorks had a second daughter, Princess Margaret Rose.
The family’s lives changed in 1936, when King George V died, and his eldest son became King Edward VIII.
Edward VIII — known to Elizabeth as “Uncle David” — began a relationship with a woman named Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee.
The romance triggered a constitutional crisis. When Edward decided to give up his throne to marry Simpson, Elizabeth’s father, Albert, ascended to the throne.
Elizabeth was just 10-years-old when her father became King George VI, having adopted his father’s name.
With no sons in the family, the heir to the throne would be George’s elder daughter — Elizabeth.
In 1940, during World War II, Princess Elizabeth, then 14, made her first broadcast, addressing the children of Britain, especially wartime evacuees.
When the war ended, she began to carry out public engagements, including in 1947, when she made her first official tour overseas, joining her parents and sister on a visit to South Africa.
Love and marriage
In1939, when then-Princess Elizabeth visited the Naval War College with her family, she reconnected with a young Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, who had served in the British Navy during the war and was a student at the college.
Like Elizabeth, he was a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria.
The couple exchanged letters and, in 1946, Philip, then in his mid-20s, was given permission by King George VI to marry his daughter, on the condition that they wait until Elizabeth was 21.
The couple married on Nov. 20, 1947, in a royal wedding in Westminster Abbey. Philip renounced his Greek and Danish titles and adopted the anglicized surname of his mother’s family, calling himself Lt. Philip Mountbatten.
For several years after their marriage, Philip and Elizabeth lived a relatively normal life. He continued to serve in the Royal Navy, and the couple soon had their two oldest children, Prince Charles, in 1948, and Princess Anne, in 1950.
Philip and Elizabeth’s lives changed in 1952, when, while Elizabeth was touring Kenya, her father, King George VI, died.
She became Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 25, and Philip gave up his career in the Royal Navy to support his wife.
Elizabeth becomes queen
As if heralding a new, modern era, Elizabeth’s coronation on June 2, 1953, was broadcast on radio and television.
The new queen was a busy woman. She met regularly with the prime minister and other cabinet members and saw all cabinet papers as well as all important Foreign Office telegrams. She was also supreme governor of the Church of England.
She presided over a number of ceremonies, such as the opening of Parliament and the Trooping the Color; hosted heads of state of the Commonwealth and other countries; conducted official visits overseas; served as head of the British Navy, Army and Air Force; and served as patron of more than 700 organizations.
She also found time to pursue her own interests as a horsewoman and dog owner.
The queen and Prince Philip also expanded their family, welcoming their third child, son Prince Andrew, in 1960 and their fourth child, Prince Edward, in 1964.
Royal family faces personal drama
Although some modernizations had crept in, Elizabeth both lived and reigned much as her father and her grandfather had. But other members of her family were having a harder time keeping up the Edwardian traditions, and their foibles overshadowed much of her later reign.
Princess Margaret had given up her plans to marry a British war hero, Group Capt. Peter Townsend, because he was divorced.
Margaret subsequently married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, who was named Earl of Snowdon. They had two children, but by 1978 the marriage ended in divorce, a move that had been taboo in the royal family since the days of Henry VIII.
Elizabeth’s daughter, Princess Anne, married Capt. Mark Phillips in 1973. The queen became a grandmother in 1977, when Peter Phillips was born, followed by a sister, Zara, in 1981.
As the heir to the throne, Prince Charles faced heavy public scrutiny over whom he would marry.
In 1981, the 32-year-old prince married 20-year-old Lady Diana Spencer. The British people became smitten with their new princess, who added a new glamour to the House of Windsor.
Diana quickly giving birth to two sons, Princes William and Harry.
Charles and Diana’s marriage was behind the scenes more emotionally fraught for both parties, according to accounts at the time.
Charles would later be accused by Diana of having an affair with his now-wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, while Diana, for her part, by all accounts had a hard time adjusting to the pressures of royal life and felt that she received little support.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s second son, Prince Andrew, had married Sarah Ferguson and been named the Duke of York. Andrew’s naval career though often kept them apart and their marriage was soon on the rocks too.
‘Annus horribilis’
As 1992 drew to a close, Elizabeth said in her annual Christmas broadcast that it had been an “annus horribilis.”
Within that year, Andrew and Sarah were separated.
Princess Anne divorced her husband and subsequently married Navy Cmdr. Timothy Laurence.
But it was the marital woes of Charles and Diana that dominated the headlines. A journalist named Andrew Morton published “Diana: Her True Story,” a book in which Diana’s friends freely described her marriage as a sham, revealing Charles’ interest in Camilla and Diana’s own battles with bulimia.
Also in 1992, a fire ravaged Windsor Castle, the medieval fortress where Elizabeth had spent so much of her childhood. The royal family faced backlash from British taxpayers who learned they were expected to help pay for the repairs.
The queen’s horrible year finally drew to a close with the announcement in December 1992 that Charles and Diana were separating.
Divorce and the death of Diana
The separation did not end the war of the Windsors.
Charles and Diana continued to feud, with the tabloids following every move.
Many Britons started to question the value of the monarchy, and it was suggested that the succession should skip Charles altogether and go right to his son William.
After Charles and Diana each opened up to the press on their own to tell their sides of the story, the couple’s divorce was finalized in August 1996.
Just one year later, on Aug. 31, 1997, Diana died following a car crash in the Pont D’Alma Bridge in Paris during which her car was pursued by paparazzi.
Queen under fire
The news of Diana’s death at the age of 36 plunged Britain — and indeed, much of the rest of the world — into grief.
Millions of Britons left flowers and remembrances outside Buckingham Palace in Diana’s memory.
The prime minister paid public tribute to the “people’s princess.” Flags everywhere were at half-staff. But the queen was nowhere to be seen.
Elizabeth and Philip had been at Balmoral Castle in Scotland with Princes William and Harry, then 15 and 12, respectively, when the accident occurred.
But when people in front of Buckingham Palace began holding up signs reading “Where is our queen when we need her?,” Elizabeth got the message.
She returned to London with her grandsons, and gave an address to the nation praising her former daughter-in-law. At Diana’s funeral procession, the queen was seen bowing as the cortege passed by.
A sacred duty
In 2002, Britain celebrated the queen’s golden jubilee, marking her 50th anniversary on the throne.
Critics wondered whether the public could get excited about a tarnished royal family headed by an aging monarch, but the crowds turned out in droves for a special jubilee concert, and Elizabeth presided over a number of special events marking the anniversary.
But her jubilee year was marred by two deaths.
On Feb. 9, her younger sister, Princess Margaret, died at age 71.
Then their mother, the Queen Mother, died on March 30 at the age of 101.
As Elizabeth herself aged, some wondered whether she would retire, allowing her son Charles to become king while still in middle age. But the queen had no intention of abdicating.
Diamond Jubilee and family scandal
In 2011, Queen Elizabeth watched as the future heir to her throne, her grandson, Prince William, wed Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, in a royal wedding at Westminster Abbey seen as breathing fresh life into the monarchy.
One year later, in 2012, Queen Elizabeth celebrated her Diamond Jubilee — 60 years on the throne. The festivities included a concert with Paul McCartney and Elton John, a carriage procession through the streets of London and the queen’s appearance with her family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.
She was only the second British monarch in 1,000 years to make it that far, and her reign was characterized by her decades of determination and fortitude.
Several years later, in 2019, the queen faced a less uniting moment for her family and the monarchy when her son Prince Andrew found himself again under scrutiny for his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender with whom Andrew was photographed walking through New York’s Central Park shortly after Epstein’s prison sentence ended in Florida.
When Epstein faced new criminal charges in 2019, Andrew faced allegations that he had sex on multiple occasions with an American teenager, which he categorically denied.
The criticisms grew to the point that Andrew announced in November 2019 that he would step back from public duties “for the foreseeable future,” saying he was doing so with Queen Elizabeth’s permission.
Two days after the announcement, Andrew was spotted riding horses with Queen Elizabeth, a move seen by some royal watchers as a signal the queen was sticking by her son’s side.
A growing family
Even amid the controversies, as Queen Elizabeth continued her history-making reign, she watched as her family grew through marriages and children’s births.
The queen and Prince Philip were the parents of eight grandchildren, Princes William and Harry of Wales, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York, Peter and Zara Phillips, as well as Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.
The queen’s oldest grandchild, Peter Phillips, brought her first two great-grandchildren into the world with his daughters, born in 2010 and 2012. Peter’s sister, Zara Phillips, would go on to have three children.
Prince William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, went on to have three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Princes Louis.
Princess Eugenie, the younger daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, and her husband Jack Brooksbank welcomed a son in February 2021, the ninth great-grandchild for Queen Elizabeth.
Eugenie’s sister, Princess Beatrice, gave birth to a daughter on Sept. 18, 2021, with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. The couple named their daughter Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi, a nod to her great-grandmother.
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, gave the queen two more great-grandchildren with the birth of their son, Archie, in 2019 and their daughter, Lilibet, in 2021.
Lilibet, who goes by Lili, is also named after the queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.
Harry and Meghan’s exit from the royal family
Harry and Meghan’s high-profile wedding at St. George’s Chapel in 2018 also seemed to breathe new life into the monarchy, as William and Kate’s had done seven years before, but the honeymoon for the couple and royal life was short-lived.
Harry and Meghan announced in January 2020 that they would “step back” as senior working members of the royal family, a decision that sent shockwaves among royal watchers and the royal family, and forced the queen to again step in to keep her family and the monarchy together.
Queen Elizabeth oversaw a high-stakes family summit to determine Harry and Meghan’s future, which ultimately saw them forgo royal life to start fresh with their family in California.
The royal family was criticized for not finding a place in the monarchy for Harry and Meghan, who were greeted as rock stars on overseas tours and were seen as bringing a new and more diverse future to the royal family.
Just over one year after leaving their royal roles, Harry and Meghan gave a bombshell interview to Oprah Winfrey in which they made claims of racism, spilled family tensions into the public eye and said they face a lack of support, both financially and emotionally.
Despite the allegations, Harry described a great fondness for the queen, a sign of the enduring legacy she had on her family.
“I’ve spoken more to my grandmother in the last year than I have done for many, many years,” said Harry, revealing he and Meghan and Archie have video calls with the queen. “My grandmother and I have a really good relationship and an understanding, and I have a deep respect for her. She’s my commander-in-chief, right? She always will be.”
A pandemic and Prince Philip’s death
As Queen Elizabeth dealt with the fallout from her family’s troubles, a deadly coronavirus pandemic swept the globe in 2020, bringing to a halt the usual royal public appearances with pomp and circumstance.
The queen and Prince Philip, who were high risk for COVID-19 because of their age, spent much of the pandemic quarantined together at Windsor Castle, a royal residence located about one hour outside of London.
No longer able to make in-person appearances, Queen Elizabeth adapted with the times as she always has, participating in video calls with people from across the Commonwealth.
The time at home at Windsor Castle afforded the queen more time than she would normally have had with Philip, who retired from official royal duties in 2017.
Philip was hospitalized for one month in early 2021 before returning to Windsor Castle, where he died on April 9, 2021, at the age of 99.
Just weeks later, on April 21, 2021, Elizabeth celebrated her 95th birthday.
“I have, on the occasion of my 95th birthday today, received many messages of good wishes, which I very much appreciate,” the queen said in a statement at the time. “While as a family we are in a period of great sadness, it has been a comfort to us all to see and to hear the tributes paid to my husband, from those within the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and around the world.”
A history-making Platinum Jubilee
In 2022, Elizabeth marked yet another first in her reign, becoming the first British monarch to reach a Platinum Jubilee — 70 years on the throne.
On Feb. 5, 2022, the queen made her first public, in-person appearance in several months when she met with representatives from local community groups in the ballroom at Sandringham House, her Norfolk estate, to celebrate the start of her Platinum Jubilee.
That same day, she released a statement, renewing the pledge of service she gave in 1947, on her 21st birthday.
“As I look ahead with a sense of hope and optimism to the year of my Platinum Jubilee, I am reminded of how much we can be thankful for. These last seven decades have seen extraordinary progress socially, technologically and culturally that have benefitted us all; and I am confident that the future will offer similar opportunities to us and especially to the younger generations in the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth,” the queen wrote. “I am fortunate to have had the steadfast and loving support of my family.”
The queen continued, “I was blessed that in Prince Philip I had a partner willing to carry out the role of consort and unselfishly make the sacrifices that go with it. It is a role I saw my own mother perform during my father’s reign.”
In her statement, Elizabeth also set a path for the monarchy moving forward in her public request that Camilla become Queen Consort when Charles becomes king.
“I remain eternally grateful for, and humbled by, the loyalty and affection that you continue to give me,” she wrote. “And when, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.”
In June, the public celebrated the queen with a four-day celebration of her Platinum Jubilee.
The celebration included everything from Trooping the Color to a National Service of Thanksgiving, a star-studded concert led by Diana Ross and thousands of lunches and street parties across the country. At the end of celebration, Elizabeth appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace alongside Charles and Camilla and William and Kate and their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis.
The queen also shared a written thank you message at the end of the celebration.
“I have been inspired by the kindness, joy and kinship that has been so evident in recent days, and I hope this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come,” she wrote. “I thank you most sincerely for your good wishes and for the part you have all played in these happy celebrations.”
The queen signed her message with her first name, Elizabeth, followed by the letter R, which stands for Regina, the Latin word for queen.
(NEW YORK) — Australia is nearing the end of its worst flu season in at least five years, which could be a sign of what’s to come in the United States heading into the fall and winter.
According to data from Australia’s Department of Health and Aged Care, as of Aug. 28, there have been nearly 218,000 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza reported to the country’s National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.
The season came on earlier than usual and, during its height in June, more than 30,000 cases were being reported to the NNDDS per week, according to the latest surveillance report. Comparatively, at the height of the season in 2017 there were 25,000 cases being reported every week.
Additionally, there have been 1,708 influenza-related hospitalizations — 6.5% of which were admitted to intensive care units — and 288 deaths associated with the virus in Australia to date during this season.
Meanwhile, there was just one flu-linked hospitalization and no deaths last year, health department data shows.
Researchers and modelers often look to the southern hemisphere, which experiences its flu season first — typically from May to October — to predict how the season will look in the U.S., and experts tell ABC News we should take warning from Australia.
“We often look to Australia and the southern hemisphere as a signal of what we may expect,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor. “Obviously, it’s not a perfect 1-to-1 match but, more often than not, the severity of the flu season in Australia is a good correlate of what we might expect, and it helps us prepare.”
During the last two years, not as many cases were reported in the U.S. compared to previous years due to COVID-19-related mitigation measures in place, such as mask-wearing and social distancing, as well as school and business closures.
One study from Wayne State University looking at Detroit Medical Center found there were no positive tests for influenza A or B among adults or children during the 2020-21 flu season. However, during the 2019-20 flu season, 13% of adults’ tests and 20% of children’s tests were positive for the virus.
Another study examining Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio found no cases of influenza A and just two cases of influenza B were detected during the 2020-21 season — a 99% decrease from the prior season.
But with COVID-19 expected to peak again in December 2022 or January 2023 and with less flu immunity among the population and fewer mitigation measures, this could be the first time Americans have to grapple with two respiratory viruses at the same time, which could put a further strain on hospital systems.
“Given the concerns we have about health care capacity and health care burnout, the last thing we want is to have parallel epidemics at a time when our health systems are stretched thin,” Brownstein said.
Health experts said they are highly recommending Americans get their flu shots by the end of October to get the best protection but say it is never too late, even if people get the shot later into the season.
“One of the potential things that could make flu come back with a vengeance is low immunity,” Dr. Shira Doron, an infectious disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, told ABC News. “It’s definitely important now more than ever because there’s a potential for a bad flu season and a bad COVID season.”
She added, “In fact, [Tufts was] still requiring [flu vaccination] of any new employees or vendors until June 1 because last flu season went so long, so it’s never too late.”
The experts also add that flu can lead to severe disease and death, so it’s important to lower the risk of infection as much as possible.
“While COVID has dominated headlines for years now, we have to remember that flu is a serious infection and while most who get the flu recover, we have to recognize that flu leads to tens of thousands and thousands of deaths,” Brownstein said. “A portion of flu infections could result in severe illness and death. Just like we try to mitigate risk of COVID infection, we have to try to provide a similar effort against flu infection.”
(LONDON) — Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is under “medical supervision” on Thursday, according to Buckingham Palace.
The queen is being monitored by doctors at Balmoral Castle, the royal family’s estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
At age 96, Elizabeth is Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. She ascended to the throne in 1952 and, in June, celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne.
The queen’s royal family members, including her four children, are now gathering by her side in Balmoral, according to the palace.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Sep 08, 10:05 AM EDT
UK prime minister ‘deeply concerned’ about queen
U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss took to Twitter on Thursday to say that her “thoughts — and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom — are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time.”
“The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime,” Truss tweeted.
Truss, who was recently selected as the new leader of the United Kingdom’s ruling Conservative Party, had an audience with the queen at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Tuesday, during which she was formally asked to form a new government as prime minister after Boris Johnson’s official resignation. It was the first time in the queen’s 70-year reign that the ceremonial transfer of power was held at Balmoral, rather than at Buckingham Palace in London.
Sep 08, 9:41 AM EDT
Senior royals head to Balmoral Castle
Senior members of the British royal family are either at or on their way to Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where Queen Elizabeth II remains “under medical supervision.”
The queen’s oldest child and the heir to her throne, Charles, prince of Wales; and his wife, Camilla, duchess of Cornwall; as well as the queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, are already at Balmoral, according to their respective spokespersons.
Meanwhile, the queen’s other sons, Prince Andrew, duke of York; and Prince Edward, earl of Wessex; as well as Edward’s wife, Sophie, countess of Wessex; Charles’ two sons, Prince William, duke of Cambridge; Prince Harry, duke of Sussex; and Harry’s wife, Meghan, duchess of Sussex, are all on their way to Balmoral, their respective spokespersons confirmed.
