THE Queen is considering cancelling her annual summer stay at Balmoral for the first time in her 68-year reign.
She and the Duke of Edinburgh still have their plans on ice while they await developments in Government guidance for people of their age.
There is a growing feeling inside their circle that the monarch’s usual 11 or 12-week stay on the 50,000acre estate on Royal Deeside in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, will not happen this year.
Other members of the Royal Family have holes in their diary where a visit to the Highlands might have been pencilled in and some courtiers still believe that flying the 94-year-old monarch and Philip, who celebrated his 99th birthday earlier their month, up to Balmoral in a helicopter or small plane remains feasible.
But the arguments in favour of staying at Windsor Castle, where the Queen and Philip have been with a group of around 20 isolating staff in a bubble since March 19 because of the coronavirus pandemic, are increasingly holding sway.
There is the worry of upheaval for the couple, who are in a vulnerable age group and expected to avoid social contact as much as possible.
But there is also the need for the court to move up to Aberdeenshire with them, a complicated process that takes some organisation and usually involves transporting equipment and possessions in removal vans. However, the key factor is what the Queen and Philip will do when they get there.
This story is from the June 27, 2020 edition of Daily Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 27, 2020 edition of Daily Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Farage: Disgraceful Shutdown Of Right Wing Summit Proof Brexit Was Correct
Nigel Farage says he is "more convinced of Brexit than ever" after police shut down a Right-wing summit in Brussels while he was on stage.
DANCE TO STEP ON IT
Appleby's filly to confirm Guineas billing in Nell Gynn
Superdry's administration warning if rescue plan fails
SUPERDRY will fall into administration unless shareholders back a three-year, multi-million pound turnaround plan for the struggling fashion chain, chief executive Julian Dunkerton warns
Police instructor used bolt cutters to remove female trainees' earrings
A POLICE instructor made three trainees place their heads on a table while he used bolt cutters to remove their earrings, a disciplinary hearing was told.
Third of children in care live in North
Blackpool heads list for social Inequality
'Baby died strapped to beanbag at a nursery'
Nurse on trial for smothering’ nine-month-old Genevieve
'VICTORY FOR ALL SCHOOLS' AS PRAYER RITUAL BAN IS BACKED
A MUSLIM pupil has lost her High Court challenge against a ban on prayer rituals with the judge's ruling welcomed as a \"victory for all schools'
PM wins smoking ban vote...with Labour help
RISHI Sunak passed his flagship smoking ban last night with the backing of Labour after a huge Tory revolt, including from a Cabinet Minister.
'Now is a moment for calm heads to prevail. Escalation would be in no one's interest'
RISHI Sunak has told Benjamin Netanyahu it is \"a moment for calm heads to prevail\" in Israel's response to Iran's missile and drone attack.
Israeli airstrike 'eliminates' top Hezbollah military chief as Middle East tensions rise
ISRAEL last night claimed that its forces had killed a senior Hezbollah commander in a targeted airstrike in Lebanon.