Queen Elizabeth was in Edinburgh, Scotland in late June for Holyrood Week. She was joined by the Earl and Countess of Wessex and Prince Charles for part of the week. She looked pretty spry, honestly. After Holyrood Week, the Queen apparently went to Sandringham for a short holiday, then she returned to Windsor Castle. But late last week, the Queen traveled to Balmoral for her annual summer vacation. It should be noted that the Queen was in Windsor during last week’s heat wave. She must have been miserable.
For the last few days, Queen Elizabeth has been valiantly surviving the historic heat wave overtaking Britain at Windsor Castle. On Tuesday, Britain’s hottest day on record, she connected with Jane Hartley, the newest ambassador from the U.S., for a virtual meeting. On Thursday morning, however, she was spotted in a police convoy finally leaving the castle for the slightly more temperate climate at her Balmoral Estate in Scotland.
The queen typically leaves for her summer estate during the last few weeks of July, and tends to stay through August. In March, the Sun reported that Craigowan Lodge, the seven-bedroom stone house about a mile from the castle, had been renovated with a wheelchair lift to accommodate her mobility issues and advanced security features, including a new fence and an upgraded CCTV system. An insider told the tabloid that she plans to spend more time there as she ages. “For many years we have thought it would be the perfect place for the Queen to spend more time when she’s older,” the source said. “It’s one of her favorite places in the country.”
[From Vanity Fair]
The Queen actually tends to stay longer in Scotland than just “through August.” She’ll likely be there through September. Some have said that she plans to be in Scotland for ten weeks for her summer vacation. It’s incredibly interesting to me that rather than make accommodations at the big house in Balmoral for a Queen with mobility issues, they’ve just decided to put her in a lodge on the property. That’s happened in Sandringham too, the Queen doesn’t stay in the big main house anymore, she stays at Wood Farm, which is all handicap-accessible. Sounds like they did those same upgrades to Craigowan Lodge too. Plus, I’m sure it’s easier for staff to care for the Queen in a smaller space.
The Daily Beast wondered if the Queen’s summer holiday will actually be tranquil and drama-free. The Royalist notes that the Queen always invites the prime minister to come up in early September, and if Boris Johnson is still PM, he’ll likely be made to schlep up there. If not BoJo, the new PM will be expected to travel up to Balmoral. There will also be talk of regency and abdication, but I simply don’t see either of those things happening in any formal way. Charles is already regent in all but name, and clearly, the Queen will not abdicate. Of course, the biggest dramas will probably come from the Queen’s family – Charles, William and Andrew are all expected to put some time in up in Scotland, and there’s obviously a lot of angst there.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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