The weekend before she marks her historic reign, The Queen has travelled up to Balmoral Castle in Scotland for some rest.
It was confirmed that The Queen left Windsor Castle on Thursday for a brief respite to rest and relax ahead of the taxing Platinum Jubilee Weekend ahead of her, which will see four days of wall-to-wall celebrations across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth marking her 70-year reign.
According to People magazine, it is expected that The Queen is staying at Craigowan Lodge on the Balmoral Estate. The Queen reportedly visits Balmoral at this time of year, over the bank holiday weekend, but due to the bank holiday taking place over her Platinum Jubilee weekend, the visit was arranged earlier.
This is The Queen’s first trip to Balmoral since last summer. The Queen typically spends the month of August at her Scottish retreat.
This private visit comes days before the Platinum Jubilee celebrations begin. On 2 June, Trooping the Colour returns on a wider scale after two years of reduced showings due to the ongoing pandemic.
The Queen and working members of the Royal Family will watch a flypast over Buckingham Palace following the ceremony, though reports are leaking that for the first time in her reign, she will not receive the salute at Horse Guards, and it will instead be received by Prince Charles, Prince William and Princess Anne.
Other Platinum Jubilee events include the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, the Derby, the Platinum Party at the Palace, the Big Lunch and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. In addition to the events in London, members of the Royal Family will attend events in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The schedules for the visits of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Wales, Princess Anne to Scotland, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex to Northern Ireland have not yet been released to the public. The Queen’s attendance at specific events is also up in the air and will not be decided until the morning of, in most cases, due to ongoing mobility issues.
Royal Central will bring you full coverage of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
