Queen to come out of lockdown and return to work at Buckingham Palace next month
THE QUEEN will come out of lockdown and return to work at Buckingham Palace next month, it has been confirmed. The monarch, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, will depart Balmoral Castle during the week commencing on September 14. Initially, they will spend time privately on the Sandringham Estate, Buckingham Palace said. Her Majesty then plans […]
THE QUEEN will come out of lockdown and return to work at Buckingham Palace next month, it has been confirmed.
The monarch, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, will depart Balmoral Castle during the week commencing on September 14.
Initially, they will spend time privately on the Sandringham Estate, Buckingham Palace said.
Her Majesty then plans to return to Windsor Castle in October and resume the use of Buckingham Palace for official engagements next month.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “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.”
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were protected for months at Windsor Castle by a ring-of-steel dubbed HMS Bubble at the beginning of lockdown.
Her band of 24 servants were split into two teams of 12 who worked three weeks on, three weeks off, at the height of the pandemic.
They had to spend a week in enforced quarantine before they returned from leave.
During lockdown, the guards could not meet their own families so that Prince Philip and The Queen could be protected.
An insider said at the time: “Her senior staff, including her private secretary Sir Edward Young, and his assistants have all moved into the castle.
“They won’t be seeing their families because no risks can be taken and they can’t go in and out.
“The most important thing is to protect the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh from the virus.
“If something happened to them it doesn’t bear thinking about.”
This is a breaking news story.