McConnell: ‘Our thoughts and our prayers’ are with Queen Elizabeth II

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) opened his morning remarks on the floor Thursday by expressing his concern over Queen Elizabeth II’s medical condition and praising her as a “historic friend of the United States.”  

The GOP leader said “our thoughts and our prayers” are with the queen as she battles illness.  

McConnell said he and many Americans are closely following reports about the British queen’s health as members of the royal family have rushed to her side. The queen is the longest-reigning British monarch in the country’s history.

“The Senate and the American people are watching the news regarding our friends in the United Kingdom and the health of their beloved Queen Elizabeth,” McConnell said.  

McConnell praised the 96-year-old queen, who was coronated in 1953, as “an exemplar of steady leadership and a beloved figure around the world.” 

“She’s been a historic friend of the United States,” he added. “The decades of her reign have seen a profound deepening of the special relationship between our two countries that has literally changed the world.” 

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, have also arrived in Britain from the United States. The two stepped back from their royal duties in 2020.  

The queen’s appearance sparked concern earlier this week when she met with new British Prime Minister Liz Truss at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Photographs of the meeting revealed purplish blue markings on the back of the queen’s hand.  

Updated at 11:54 a.m.