Queen Mum Due to Leave Hospital
L O N D O N, Aug. 2 -- Britain's much-loved Queen Mother Elizabeth is due to leave hospital today after receiving a blood transfusion for anemia.
The "Queen Mum," who is due to celebrate her 101st birthday on Saturday, was restingat London's King Edward VII hospital after a "successful" transfusion, said a royal official in London today.
"The treatment has been completed satisfactorily and QueenElizabeth The Queen Mother will be returning [home] thisevening," said a spokeswoman at the Queen Mother's residence,Clarence House.
On Wednesday, the Queen Mum alarmed her many fans and admirers when she walked into the hospital for a blood transfusion and tests to determine why her red blood cell count is so low.
Traditionally, the Queen Mother appears outside the gates of her residence with other members of the royal family on her birthday. She greets well-wishers, who present her with gifts and cards.
Downplaying Health Concerns Amid Heat
The enormously popular Queen Mother's health and general well-being has always been a matter of concern and interest to the British public. But her aides have played down fears over her condition. "There is no cause for alarm," said her private secretary, Sir Alistair Aird.
Recent events, however, tend to suggest that the situation is a little more serious, especially given her advanced years. The usually energetic centenarian had to pull out of an official function Wednesday. She had been due to attend a stone-laying ceremony honoring the colonial war dead near Buckingham Palace, but doctors said she was suffering from heat exhaustion. Her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, took her place at the engagement.
An official statement from Clarence House released on Tuesday said, "Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, is suffering from mild heat exhaustion and has been advised to rest."
Britain has been basking in an unexpected heat wave recently with temperatures rising past 90 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas.
The hot weather has clearly taken its toll after an especially hectic week of public engagements for the Queen Mother. She visited Ascot horse races last Saturday to watch the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes. Last Wednesday, she attended Sandringham Flower Show with her grandson Prince Charles, the heir to the throne. The previous week she had visited Woolmer Castle in Kent.
