The Queen gives rare glimpse of Balmoral drawing room complete with roaring fire before appointing Liz Truss as PM

6 September 2022, 12:49 | Updated: 7 September 2022, 08:40

The Queen gave a rare glimpse of her cosy Balmoral drawing room as she prepared to make Liz Truss Britain's new PM.

The smiling Monarch, who has been staying in her Scottish residence for the summer, wore a tartan skirt, a grey shirt and a matching grey cardigan.

She wore her classic pearl necklace, her sturdy black shoes and her favourite black handbag around her arm.

The Sovereign was also using Prince Philip's old walking stick to support her as she stood on the carpet waiting for new Prime Minister Liz Truss to enter the Balmoral drawing room.

Historically, the Queen meets with a new Prime Minister at Buckingham Palace, however, she met with Liz Truss at Balmoral on Tuesday in a break from royal tradition.

Ms Truss's appointment was made at Balmoral, with Ms Truss travelling up from London the day after she won the Tory leadership vote.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: "The Queen received in audience The Right Honourable Elizabeth Truss MP today and requested her to form a new administration.

"Ms Truss accepted Her Majesty's offer and kissed hands upon her appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury."

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The new Prime Minister is the 15th premier of the Queen's 70 years on the throne.

Afterwards Ms Truss, who was joined by her husband Hugh O'Leary, said her goodbyes to the Queen's private secretary and her equerry in a reception hallway and was waved off by the royal aides.

Liz Truss arrives at Balmoral to meet Queen Elizabeth II

Mr Johnson had an audience with the Queen earlier on Tuesday, where he formally offered her his resignation.

He and his wife spent almost 40 minutes with the Queen before leaving Balmoral a few minutes before midday.

In a statement issued afterwards, Buckingham Palace said: "The Right Honourable Boris Johnson MP had an audience of The Queen this morning and tendered his resignation as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, which Her Majesty was graciously pleased to accept."

Watch: James O'Brien dissects Johnson's 'ludicrous' final speech

Read more: Who's in and who's out of Cabinet: What Liz Truss' top team could look like

Shortly after his audience with the Queen, Boris Johnson's Twitter profile reflected his new status, describing him as the "former prime minister of the United Kingdom".

Ms Truss, meanwhile, has had her profile quickly updated to mark her new role.

"Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Leader of the Conservative Party. MP for South West Norfolk," the description states.

Boris Johnson arrives at Balmoral to give his formal resignation to the Queen

In a speech outside Downing Street on Tuesday morning Mr Johnson said his party had "changed the rules halfway through".

"This is it folks," he began.

He described the quick succession of four Tory leaders in a six year period as "a relay race" and signed off by calling for unity within his party.

It's "time for politics to be over" said Mr Johnson, before he outlined his achievements in office, including "getting Brexit done", the Covid vaccine rollout and Britain's support for Ukraine.