Queen heads to Balmoral for short break ahead of Platinum Jubilee celebrations
The Queen has travelled to her private home in Scotland for a ‘break’ before the start of next weekend’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in London.
The Queen made the journey to the Balmoral estate, in Aberdeenshire, for some well-deserved rest ahead of four days of celebrations which will mark the monarch's 70 years on the throne.
It is understood the Queen arrived at the private Scottish estate on Thursday evening, where she will stay for a short break before returning to Windsor and London ahead of the Jubilee events, which start with the Trooping the Colour on Thursday.
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Royal sources have said that the Queen often makes a short trip north of the border around this time of year, often staying for about a week.
The restorative break in the countryside is also thought to be part of the Queen's carefully planned schedule over the past few months, which will allow her to fulfil her public engagements after a rest.
The Queen, who turned 96 in April, has withdrawn from certain public engagements over recent months amid ongoing 'mobility issues', and senior members of the Royal Family have stepped in to represent the monarch on a number of occasions.
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Her Majesty pulled out of the State Opening of Parliament due to her health, and Prince Charles read out the Queen’s speech for the first time this year.
She was also unable to attend Royal Garden Parties this year, held annually at Holyroodhouse and Buckingham Palace, due to the physically demanding nature of the events (the Garden Party requires the royal hosts to be on their feet for over an hour as they greet the hundreds of guests gathered on the Buckingham Palace lawn).
Instead, she was represented by a number of her children and grandchildren at the four events, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
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Her Majesty was able to make it to the Royal Horse Show in Windsor last week, for a special Platinum Jubilee performance, to the opening of the new Elizabeth line in London, and to the opening day of the Royal Chelsea Flower Show this week, where she debuted her new royal golf buggy.
Next week, Her Majesty is expected to make several high-profile appearances at Platinum Jubilee celebrations over the four-day weekend, including a Service of Thanksgiving for her reign at St Paul's Cathedral and the Trooping the Colour ceremony, where fans hope to see her on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
She is also expected at the Epsom Derby on Saturday, according to organisers who have put measures in place to allow her to navigate the route to her box in comfort.
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It is thought that the Queen won’t attend all the events over the extended weekend, delegating some of the celebrations to the younger members of the Royal Family such as the Saturday night pop concert, headlined by Diana Ross, and street parties.
Unseen footage from the Queen's archive is also set to be aired in a BBC documentary about the monarch this Sunday in celebration of her 70 years on the throne, and is narrated by the Queen herself.
Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen marks the first time filmmakers have been granted special access to hundreds of private home movies shot by the Royal Family, and will follow the monarch's life as a princess and queen through her own eyes and own words.
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