Queen ‘totally mentally alert’ at Balmoral Castle and 'carrying out duties' despite recent health issues

The Queen is ‘totally mentally alert’ at Balmoral Castle and is continuing to work following nearly a year of health issues, a royal expert has claimed. 

• The Queen is 'totally mentally alert' despite battling physical health issues, according to a royal insider. 
• Her Majesty is currently residing at Balmoral Castle in Scotland for her summer break but reportedly has no plans to step down as monarch. 
• In other royal news, Prince Harry and Meghan's home and safe space threatened by stealthy predators.
  

The Queen is 'totally mentally alert' at Balmoral Castle despite her physical ailments, a royal insider has claimed. 

It's no secret that Her Majesty's health has been a major source of concern over the past year, with updates on the 96-year-old monarch making regular headlines ever since she was hospitalized overnight last October. 

The Queen has suffered from ongoing medical problems over the past year, including general mobility issues, a back sprain, and even a COVID-19 diagnosis. Her declining health forced her to cancel multiple engagements in late 2021, including the COP26 summit in Glasgow and the annual Remembrance Sunday service at Cenotaph in London. 

She was also notably less visible at her Platinum Jubilee 2022 in June, appearing at just a small handful of the Bank Holiday weekend's events and even missing her own Service of Thanksgiving after enduring 'discomfort' the previous day. 

Fears for the Queen's health surged again last week when she axed her welcome ceremony at Balmoral Castle, the Scottish getaway where she normally spends her summer break. The highly-anticipated event was made private for Her Majesty's 'comfort' at the last minute, having traditionally taken place in front of locals and tourists. 

It's understood that the £140m property has undergone renovations to accommodate the royal matriarch's mobility needs, including the installation of a 'wheelchair-friendly lift' at its cottage, Craigowan Lodge. 

The Queen has also reportedly had a golf buggy ordered to Windsor Castle, which allows her to move around the 13-acre Berkshire estate without aggravating the 'stiffness' in her legs. 

Despite these physical setbacks, it appears that Her Majesty has no plans to retire from the job any time soon. 

"The Queen is mentally totally alert and carrying out duties, albeit changed duties," royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Express.co.uk on Wednesday. 

While the monarch's workload has been reduced, she has continued to complete many of the tasks that have punctuated her daily schedule for the past 70 years. Her current duties include filing through her Red Box of governmental documents and holding audiences, some of which are virtual, at Windsor Castle. 

The update comes following Nigel Farage's comments that Prince Charles was becoming a 'Prince Regent', suggesting that the Queen was unable to continue her role as Head of State on a full-time basis. 

“It looks as though Prince Charles is becoming Prince Regent which means he will deputize for the Queen on big state occasions, on big international visits with US Presidents or whatever it may be,” the former UKIP leader said during a recent interview with FOX News. 

Fitzwilliams was quick to disagree with Farage's perspective, dismissing the notion that the Queen is incapacitated as "gossip." 

"I don’t see this as a possibility [Charles becoming a Prince Regent.] We will have to see, of course, what is going to happen in the future," he added.