The 94-year-old monarch, who is currently at her Balmoral Castle in Scotland for summer vacation together with Prince Philip, is set to return to Windsor Castle instead of her full-time residence in London for the “foreseeable future.” It is because the global pandemic continues to disrupt the royal’s working arrangements.
According to the Sunday Times, the Queen will remain at her royal residence — which is one hour outside of London — “until the threat from coronavirus has lifted.”
“There is a desire to get Buckingham Palace up and running again as a working palace, but only if all the relevant advice suggests that it is appropriate to do so,” a source told the outlet.
Furthermore, this is also Her Majesty’s longest absence from the Palace in her 68 years of reign.
Earlier this month, the Queen and Prince Philip embarked on their annual summer vacation in Scotland after spending months at their Berkshire residence.
The Queen and the 99-year-old duke left Balmoral on August 4 and are expected to be in Aberdeenshire until early October.
Lockdown Bubble
Prior to this, Queen Elizabeth II left London last March and was transferred to Windsor Castle as a precautionary measure to the pandemic.
At the same time, the Duke of Edinburgh departed from his Sandringham Estate in Norfolk to be with the Queen, as they were taken care of and surrounded by 22 trusted royal staff in what was known as the “HMS Bubble.”
In a leaked memo, Master of the household Tony Johnstone-Burt pointed out that the lockdown bubble was aimed to minimize the risk of the Queen and Prince Philip being exposed to the deadly virus.
“Indeed, the challenges that we are facing whether self-isolating alone at home, or with our close household and families, have parallels with being at sea away from home for many months, and having to deal with a sense of dislocation, anxiety, and uncertainty.”
Although numerous royal events were previously canceled on her diary, Her Majesty participated in virtual conferences such as her fourth nation address, wherein she called for unity amid the global crisis.
“I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge,” Queen Elizabeth II said.
An estimated 24 million people watched the rare televised speech, during which the Queen also thanked key workers and the NHS for their dedication and hard work.
Her Majesty emerged for her first public engagement since the lockdown when she awarded a knighthood to 100-year-old charity hero, Captain Tom Moore.
Meanwhile, other members of the royal family started doing face-to-face engagements amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla are the first royals to leave lockdown as they welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to London to commemorate the 80th anniversary of his predecessor Charles de Gaulle’s “Appel.”
The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall were followed by Prince William and Kate Middleton, who visited the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn.