Queen Elizabeth ‘fading away before our very eyes’: royal expert

A royal expert is sounding an alarm, saying new photographs of Queen Elizabeth II show the beloved monarch “fading away before our very eyes.”

Daniela Elser penned an op-ed for Australian outlet News.com.AU on Friday, saying images of the queen greeting New South Wales Governor Margaret Beazley in the UK last week were “nothing short of alarming.”

The snaps show the 96-year-old royal wearing a bright yellow dress as she smiles and shakes hands with the Australian politician inside Windsor Castle.

Elser claims the images are unremarkable until they are compared with photographs taken of the queen in a similar outfit back in June 2021, when she met former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

“The difference is truly startling,” the royal expert writes. “In the intervening 12 months, Her Majesty would appear to have become markedly more stooped, much thinner and overall appears to have shrunk.”

Elser noted that “nearly every month” since last October, the queen has had to “bow out of previously nonnegotiable events” and speculated that the full extent of her health issues is being kept private.

“Aides are in a tricky spot,” the expert asserted. “They can hardly come out and offer the press a running commentary on whatever might be ailing [the queen].”

However, Elser claimed the royals need to be somewhat transparent, as they risk looking “squirrelly and secretive,” particularly as the family’s image has taken a hit amid Prince Andrew’s recent scandal.

Indeed, the queen’s health has been in the headlines since October of last year, when she was spotted using a walking stick for the first time in 17 years. An insider said at the time that the assistance was for her “comfort.”

Her Majesty was hospitalized later that month and consequently canceled a trip to Ireland before returning to royal duties.

In May, however, a Buckingham Palace statement revealed that the queen would “reluctantly” miss a royal engagement due to “mobility problems.” The decision was made in “consultation with her doctors,” according to the palace.

Last week, the queen missed Royal Ascot for the first time since her coronation seven decades ago.

She also backed out of events earlier this month due to feelings of “discomfort” during the massive Platinum Jubilee festivities celebrating her historic 70 years of service.

While she attended the Trooping the Colour parade, she missed the National Service of Thanksgiving and only attended the Platinum Jubilee Pageant as a hologram.

“While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family,” she said in a statement delivered during the Jubilee. “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.”