NEWLY elected Conservative Party leader Liz Truss met with Queen Elizabeth II at her private Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, where she was officially invited to join the government.
The meeting took place one day after Truss was declared winner in the Tory leadership contest and a few minutes after Boris Johnson met with the Monarch to tender his resignation in the company of his wife Carrie.
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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Truss, 47, who was joined by her husband Hugh O’Leary, becomes the 15th premier of the Queen’s 70-year reign and third female prime minister in British history after Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher.
The Queen who has faced ongoing mobility issues, wore a bright smile and used a walking stick as she welcomed Truss in Balmoral’s green-carpeted Drawing Room.
This is the first time that the 96-year-old monarch would be carrying out this function in Aberdeenshire where she is spending her summer holiday, rather than at Buckingham Palace.
Truss is expected to address the nation later but had promised Monday to cut taxes and address spiralling energy prices that are driving a cost-of-living crisis in the country.
Meanwhile, a woman named Liz Trussell has been confused for the next Prime Minister after her Twitter handle @Liztruss and has received several congratulatory messages, including from the Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.
Andersson tweeted a message of support to the wrong Liz instead of the new Prime Minister whose own handle is @trussliz, before swiftly deleting it, though not before Trussell cheekily replied.
“Congratulations to Liz Truss, who will assume the role of Prime Minister of the UK. Sweden and UK will continue our deep and extensive cooperation. Important for our citizens, economies and security,” the Sweden’s Prime Minister wrote and Trusell replied: “Looking forward to a visit soon! Get the meatballs ready.”