We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Buckingham Palace announced the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will cut their summer break short in Balmoral to spend time at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk starting on Monday, September 14. A palace spokesperson said in a statement: “The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will depart Balmoral Castle during the week commencing September 14 to spend time privately on the Sandringham Estate.

“Subject to the finalisation of the autumn programme, Her Majesty’s intention is to return to Windsor Castle in October and to resume the use of Buckingham Palace for selected audiences and engagements.

“These plans will be kept under review and will of course be subject to all relevant guidance and advice.”

News the monarch cut her time in Scotland short comes as a surprise, as Balmoral is known to be the Queen’s favourite home.

But the Queen will not be spending long at her Norfolk estate, as she will be leaving her husband Prince Philip behind to return to her royal duties – coronavirus notwithstanding.

The Queen has appeared rarely in public since the outbreak of COVID-19.

She moved from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle for the lockdown, and has taken part in some online engagements and a handful of in-person engagements, including the investiture ceremony for Sir Captain Tom Moore.

She also attended the wedding of her granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, at a private socially distanced ceremony at Windsor in July.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived at Balmoral, in Aberdeenshire, at the start of August and have enjoyed visits from family in the weeks since.

If all goes to plan, the monarch will return to Windsor at the beginning of October and then to Buckingham Palace to resume royal duties.

This is the longest the Queen has been without a visit to her most famous home in her 68-year reign.

While the Queen has worked every day of the pandemic, reading the contents of her red boxes daily, taking meetings with the Privy Council and speaking weekly with the Prime Minister on the phone, she is said to be keen to get back to the public face to face work she loves doing.

While a walkabout meeting the public seems pretty unlikely for the foreseeable future, the Queen is hoping to be able to carry out private audiences.

DON’T MISS
Princess Eugenie nickname: The sweet nickname Princess goes by [INSIGHT]
Chocolate cupcake recipe: How to make Queen’s favourite cupcakes [RECIPE]
Meghan & Harry: Will Duke and Duchess ever return to Frogmore Cottage? [ANALYSIS]

It is believed Prince Philip will stay at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate.

Aides now believe having Philip by the Queen’s side throughout lockdown has sparked their desire to never be apart for long periods again.

A source told the Sun: “Everyone who has seen her recently says the Queen appears to have a new lease of life because she loved the chance to spend quality time with Philip again.

“Obviously she has been gravely worried about the nation during the pandemic but those around her have seen how amazing they have been together.”

Recent weeks have been busy for the royals, as they join the rest of the country in getting back to normal life now that lockdown is over for most of the UK.

Princess Charlotte and Prince George both returned to school recently, with the Cambridge family moving back to Kensington Palace following a prolonged stay at their country home, Anmer Hall.

Charlotte has entered year one and George has started year three.

Source: Read Full Article