The Queen will play an important constitutional role in the appointment of a new prime minister following Boris Johnson’s departure.
Mr Johnson - the 14th prime minister of the monarch’s 70-year reign - will have to travel to see the head of state to formally tender his resignation - usually after his successor as Conservative Party leader has been appointed.
The beleaguered prime minister is reported to have phoned the Queen on Thursday morning as a courtesy as he prepared to tell the nation he was quitting, although Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
The pair had their weekly meeting by telephone on Wednesday evening – the day Mr Johnson was confronted with a mass exodus of ministers and aides.
A prime minister’s resignation audience traditionally takes place at Buckingham Palace, but the Queen’s age and ongoing mobility problems and the fact Mr Johnson will remain in the role until the autumn could potentially see the audience taking place at Balmoral Castle for what could be the first time in recent history.
The Queen travels to her private home in the Scottish Highlands each summer for her annual break, usually staying until October.
Mr Johnson is thought to be more likely to travel to her rather than making the 96-year-old returning to London or Windsor, if the leadership process is completed in September while the monarch is still in Scotland.
A new Tory leader is expected to be in place by the party’s conference, which begins on 2 October.
As head of state, it is the Queen’s duty to appoint the prime minister who leads Her Majesty’s Government.
The Royal Encyclopedia states the appointment of a prime minister is “one of the few remaining personal prerogatives of the sovereign”.
It says that, in the normal course of events, the monarch does not act on advice nor need to consult anyone before calling upon the leader with an overall majority of seats in the House of Commons to form a government.
But the Queen is guided by constitutional conventions and can seek advice from the outgoing prime minister, any other political leader, senior privy counsellors, or whomever she pleases within the limits of prudence and caution.
Mr Johnson’s last duty is expected to be to tell the monarch who has enough support to form the next government.
The main requirement is to find someone who can command the confidence of the Commons.
There could still be exceptional circumstances when the Queen might need to exercise discretion to ensure that her government is carried on.
The Queen is a constitutional monarch who remains politically neutral.
When a potential prime minister is called to see the Queen, she will ask them whether they will form a government. The most usual response is acceptance.
After a new prime minister has been appointed, the Court Circular will record that “the prime minister kissed hands on appointment”.
This is not literally the case and it is usually a handshake. The actual kissing of hands takes place later at the Privy Council.
The new prime minister will be the Queen’s 15th.
During his tenure, Mr Johnson has caused a certain amount of trouble for the nation’s longest reigning sovereign.
He succeeded in drawing the Queen into a major constitutional row over the illegal proroguing of parliament.
He twice broke with convention and talked about their private audiences, and publicly apologised to the Queen and the country over events in Downing Street on the eve of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral.
Two parties were held in No 10 at a time of national mourning and with England under restrictions banning indoor mixing of households.
The following day, the Queen sat alone - socially distanced from her family - as she mourned her husband.
Mr Johnson was only a few hours into his post after succeeding Theresa May in July 2019 when he revealed what was said in his audience with the Queen as he accepted her invitation to form the next government and become prime minister.
A correspondent for Euronews NBC said the outspoken politician claimed the monarch quipped “I don’t know why anyone would want the job”.
Mr Johnson, who disclosed the remarks during a tour in 10 Downing Street, was told off by staff who warned him not to repeat such things so loudly.
Again in November 2019, he talked about their private audiences, describing their meetings as a “very tough interview”.
Additional reporting by Press Association
