While Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the sovereign and serves as the administrative headquarters for The Crown, The Queen will not be returning from Windsor Castle.
The Queen and the late Duke of Edinburgh moved to Windsor Castle permanently at the start of the global health crisis in March 2020 in order to better isolate and stay separate. Prior to 2020, they would go to Windsor at the weekend and also spend the week there for both Easter week and Royal Ascot week, but spent the rest of the year at other homes.
In addition to weekends and specific periods, Her Majesty also spent her formative years during the Second World War at Windsor Castle with her younger sister, Princess Margaret.
The Queen has decided to make Windsor Castle her permanent home for the rest of her reign and will only be returning to Buckingham Palace for official duties. Given health and travel restrictions for different nations, she continues to hold many virtual engagements, which she can easily do from Windsor.
Buckingham Palace is currently undergoing £369 million refurbishments that are not meant to be completed until 2027. Plans include adding a ramp to help make the palace step-free, replacing the roof of the Picture Gallery, and adding a new energy centre, new water tanks, and standby power generation. Despite the global health crisis, the refurbishments are said to be continuing on schedule.
While The Queen will now be spending the majority of her time at Windsor Castle, she will still be seen at Buckingham Palace. In June, much of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations are centred around Buckingham Palace, including the often-discussed balcony appearance.
Her Majesty had been scheduled to host a diplomatic reception at Windsor on Wednesday, 2 March, but it was postponed to a later date.
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