
A top secret emergency meeting called by Buckingham Palace for today has caused fevered speculation around the world about the future of the Queen and her husband Prince Philip.

The Mail revealed last night that Her Majesty's most senior aides have called her entire household from across Britain to London for a 10am summit ahead of a royal announcement.

But royal sources have said that internet rumours about the Queen's or the Duke of Edinburgh's health faltering are 'wide of the mark' and the couple are 'fine'.

The spokesman refused to say what the meeting is about but added: 'There's no cause for alarm' and the Royal Standard remains at full mast over Buckingham Palace today, meaning there has been no death in the royal family.

The Queen met Theresa May in London yesterday to dissolve Parliament for the General Election and Prince Philip opened a new stand at Lords cricket ground and both looked in rude health. Both have royal engagements in the capital later.

Servants from royal residences across the country have been ordered to London and will be addressed this morning at 10am by the Lord Chamberlain, the most senior officer of the Royal Household, as well as Her Majesty’s right-hand man, Private Secretary Sir Christopher Geidt.

Even her longest serving staff were left in the dark about why the meeting was being called but multiple sources said it was ‘highly unusual’ and had sparked fevered talk about an imminent announcement concerning the monarch or her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Royal experts have suggested that it could be that Buckingham Palace is to be closed for a £369million refurbishment and the royal family will move to Sandringham or Balmoral permanently. Others have claimed that Prince Philip could be about to announce his retirement from royal duties.

Drama: All members of the Royal staff have been called to Buckingham Palace for an emergency meeting involving the Queen and Prince Philip

Pictured on Wednesday: The Queen arrives Buckingham Palace to meet British Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday to mark the dissolution of Parliament for the General Election

All well: Prince Philip opens the new Warner Stand at Lord's Cricket Ground yesterday and looked fit and healthy

The Royal Standard flag over Buckingham Palace remains at full mast today meaning that there has been no death in the royal family

The Queen's loyal former press secretary Dickie Arbiter said it was unlikely to do with the royal couple's health

‘Everyone is on tenterhooks,’ said one.

‘Although meetings involving the entire royal household are occasionally called, the way this has been done at the eleventh hour is highly unusual and suggests that there is something major to be disseminated.

‘But at the moment, only those closest to her genuinely know what on earth this is all about.’

The Queen's loyal former press secretary Dickie Arbiter said it was unlikely to do with the royal couple's health.

He tweeted: 'It could well be about the Buckingham Palace refurbishment' adding that the meeting was 'nothing unusual'.

Staff from royal residences such as Windsor Castle and Sandringham have been asked to come in, as well as those from further afield as Balmoral in Scotland, suggesting that that any announcement will affect them all.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment last night.

Sources insisted that the Lord Chamberlain does call meetings of household staff from time to time and said it would be wrong to speculate further.

The Queen has just returned to her London residence following her extended Easter break at Windsor.

She turned 91 last month while her husband, Prince Philip, will celebrate his 96th birthday in June.

In recent years the Queen has, slowly but surely, been handing over a number of her more onerous duties including all those involving long-haul travel and many of her regular investitures.

The 'highly unusual' meeting at Buckingham Palace has sparked fevered talk about an imminent announcement concerning the Queen or her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh

Queen Elizabeth II arrives at Buckingham Palace yesterday ahead of an audience with Prime Minister Theresa May to mark the dissolution of Parliament for the General Election

The Queen is greeted by wellwishers outside Buckingham Palace as she arrives yesterday

The Duke of Edinburgh talks to children from St Edwards Catholic Primary School yesterday, during a visit to Lord's cricket ground in London where he opened the new Warner Stand

The Duke of Edinburgh (second left) is shown a number of bats by Dr Chinmay Gupte (second right) and John Stephenson (right), during his visit to Lord's cricket ground yesterday

Rebecca English, Royal Correspondent for the Daily Mail, tweets that claims on the internet and in foreign media over deaths are 'wide of the mark'

Speculation about the announcement was rife on Twitter this morning, with the BBC's Nick Robinson telling how the Mail's story had made the social network go 'crazy'

Last year Buckingham Palace also announced that she would step down as patron of around 25 national organisations - including the NSPCC and Wimbledon tennis - after she turned 90 in April and in favour of younger members of her family.

Many have expressed concern, however, that she still conducts well over 300 engagements every year.

Recently the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced they would be finally moving back to London from Norfolk, where Prince William works as an air ambulance pilot, in order to help shoulder the burden more.

Similarly, Prince Philip has been curtailing his commitments, having stepped down from a number of patronages when he turned 90.

There was also grave concern for the Queen and Philip’s health over Christmas when both developed heavy colds, forcing the monarch to miss Christmas Day service for the first time in living memory.

It is unlikely, however, that any meeting would involve news of an abdication as the Queen has always vowed to serve her country for as long as she lives.

The Duke of Edinburgh was out and about yesterday as he joked about his prowess at unveiling plaques when he opened a new £25million stand at Lord's cricket ground in London.

Philip, famed for his off-the-cuff comments, quipped just before he pulled a cord to part a small curtain: ‘You're about to see the world's most experienced plaque-unveiler’.

His comment was reminiscent of a joke made by his grandson, Prince Harry, who said of the Royal Family during a tree-planting ceremony: ‘It's what we do.’

And when the Duke was shown a selection of cricket bats through the ages, from an 1890s blade used by Albert Trott to a huge example now ruled illegal, he looked at a baseball-style bat with a very long handle and said to former England captain Mike Gatting: ‘It's an offensive weapon.’

Meanwhile the Duchess of Cambridge gave a baby lamb called Stinky a bottle of milk during a visit to the Farms for City Children in Arlingham, Gloucestershire - a charity set up by children's author Michael Morpurgo to teach inner-city children about farming.

The Duchess, who was wearing dark brown knee-length zip-up boots, light brown trousers and an outdoor jacket, had arrived at the farm for a private lunch with the children and staff. She then joined a story-time session led by Mr Morpurgo, who founded the charity with his wife Clare in 1976.

Prince Harry (left) joins Emily Briggs, 11, Isaac Briggs, 13, and Matt Briggs at Twickenham Stadium in London during the Army V Royal Navy annual rugby match last Saturday

Prince Harry presents Captain Rob Lennox with the Babcock Trophy after the match at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday

The Duchess of Cambridge revealed that she and Prince William keep a menagerie of animals during a visit to a farm in Arlingham, Gloucester, yesterday

Her Royal Highness revealed that she has five chickens, a lamb - and an incubator full of eggs at her home of Anmer Hall in Norfolk - while visiting Farms for City Children in Arlingham

The Duchess was then taken on a tour of the farm where she helped children - from Vauxhall in London - pot vegetable plants and plant onions in the allotments, as well as tending to the chicken coop.

Also yesterday, Kensington Palace said Prince Harry is to visit Singapore to stage a polo match in aid of his charity Sentebale and will also travel to Australia.

Harry will host the Singapore polo match in June in aid of his organisation based in Lesotho which provides support to African children living with HIV and Aids.

On Saturday, Harry was at Twickenham Stadium in South West London for the Army v Royal Navy annual rugby match.

Royal watchers are hoping to see Harry accompanied by his actress girlfriend Meghan Markle at the wedding of the Duchess of Cambridge's sister Pippa Middleton in Berkshire on May 20.

Other royal news yesterday concerned the centenary of the House of Windsor which was commemorated with a new coin.

The Royal Family's name was radically switched 100 years ago in 1917 because of anti-German feeling during the First World War.