Queen and Margaret 'picked Bilberries in Balmoral' says Burrell

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Royal expert Duncan Larcombe believes the Queen’s summer break will be tinged with sadness this year, following the death of Prince Philip. The royal author said the Duke of Edinburgh didn’t just provide company and advice to the monarch but also used to take the reins of the family every time they were holidaying in Scotland, leaving the Queen time to relax.

Mr Larcombe told OK! magazine: “The Queen has had a blanket of support thrown around her since Philip’s passing.

“She’ll have regular guests to stay at the estate. But it will still be hard.

“Philip really loved to take control of festivities at Balmoral. He allowed her to sit back and relax.”

Prince Philip died on April 9 at Windsor Castle, just a few weeks before turning 100.

A few weeks later, a source claimed key members of the Royal Family including the Duchess of Cambridge, the Countess of Wessex and Princess Anne had come together to make sure the sovereign would not be alone.

The family members are said to have created a rota for their visits to the Queen, to make sure she would often be in the company of her loved ones.

A source told the Mirror: “The Queen will not be alone.

“She will have others who care about her deeply and want to be there to support her in her most pressing hour. 

“In typical fashion the Queen has insisted she is coping and despite the suggestion she had prepared herself for this day to come, everyone is well aware there is nothing like the experience when it comes.”

After the period of royal mourning, the Queen has resumed her royal duties and increased her number of face-to-face engagements – often accompanied by other members of the Royal Family.

During her annual Royal Week, a tour of Scotland taking place between the end of June and the beginning of July, she was in the company first of Prince William and then of Princess Anne.

While she will surely feel the absence of her husband of 73 years, the Queen will have a chance to rest while in Scotland, according to Mr Larcombe. 

He said: “Balmoral plays a key part in the Queen’s sanity.

“It’s where she can kick off the crown and be the mother, grandmother and great grandmother she is.

“You see the Queen with her family in more formal settings but at Balmoral, it’s about being outdoors and playing with the children.

“She also spends a lot of time there lost in her own thoughts.”

While at Balmoral with her close family, the Queen likes to go on walks or shootings and enjoys having lunch out in nature. 

Princess Eugenie offered a unique insight into the sovereign’s summer holidays.

Appearing on the documentary Our Queen At Ninety, one of the monarch’s eight grandchildren said: “I think Granny is the most happy there.

“I think she really, really loves the Highlands.

“Walks, picnics, dogs—a lot of dogs, there’s always dogs—and people coming in and out all the time.

“It’s a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa, for us to come and see them up there, where you just have room to breathe and run”. 

Prince Philip was known for loving to host a barbecue meal when in Scotland.

This passion was remembered by Prince Harry in the poignant statement he issued after the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh.

He said: “He will be remembered as the longest-reigning consort to the Monarch, a decorated serviceman, a Prince and a Duke.

“But to me, like many of you who have lost a loved one or grandparent over the pain of this past year, he was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right ’til the end.”

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