The Queen has travelled
to Norfolk to spend the weekend in private after a busy trip to Scotland.
Her Majesty has spent the
past few days in Edinburgh where she carried out three major public
appearances in celebration of Holyrood Week, also known as Royal Week, and
attended ceremonies steeped in tradition.
She is now enjoying a
well-deserved rest at Sandringham Estate, her much-loved country home where she
spends the occasional weekend. She also has Christmas at Sandringham and stays
there until early February when she marks the anniversary of her father King
George VI’s death and her own ascension to the throne.
Royal watchers were thrilled
to see the Queen in good spirits this week as she attended three engagements at
the Palace of Holyroodhouse, her official residence in Edinburgh.
On Thursday, she attended
the Reddendo Parade alongside her son Prince Charles. The ceremony saw
more than 300 officers and archers from the Queen’s Body Guard for Scotland
parade in front of the royals. Her Majesty watched the action from a chair
while Charles greeted members of the parade and shook hands with some of the
archers present.
On Tuesday, the Queen
watched another parade in the palace gardens. This time as head of the
Armed Forces in the UK, she looked on as the army, the navy and the air force
took part in the military spectacle.
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She also stepped out on Tuesday for an Armed Forces parade
At the start of Holyrood Week,
the 96-year-old monarch also attended the Ceremony of the Keys with the Earl
and Countess of Wessex. As part of the tradition, the Queen was symbolically
handed the keys to Edinburgh city by the Lord Provost and tradition dictates
she then returns them, entrusting their safekeeping to Edinburgh’s elected
officials.
She appeared on good form as
she beamed with delight and watched the ceremony, using her walking stick as an
aid.
