Queen greets Germany's Angela Merkel at Windsor Castle

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The royal ritual was performed for the first time in 16 months, having been suspended since the first lockdown to avoid large gatherings. But yesterday the ceremony was back in all its glory, as hundreds of tourists gathered in the grounds of the castle to watch the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards in action. The Queen was also in residence at the royal fortress on the big day. Changing the Guard events have also been on hold at other royal palaces since March 2020.

Visitors to Windsor Castle yesterday were still asked to wear face masks inside buildings in line with a policy across royal residences.

Although the Government said masks were no longer a legal requirement, officials have said all tourist visitors to royal residences, including Buckingham Palace, will still be asked to wear face coverings inside for the foreseeable future.

A spokeswoman for Windsor said: “We have said we expect and recommend that people wear a face covering. It’s to protect staff and other visitors.

“But we won’t enforce it if people feel strongly about it.”

Similar guidelines are in place at Highgrove House, Prince Charles’s country retreat in Gloucestershire.

Many museums and art galleries have taken a similar approach.

The Houses of Parliament intends to adopt the same policy when it reopens to tourists on July 28.

Changing the Guard is expected to resume at Buckingham Palace in the near future.

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