The monarch was on good form
There was something different about the Queens arrival to her engagement on Tuesday. The 93-year-old monarch whose entrance is always graceful visited the Royal Philatelic Society’s new headquarters in the City of London to mark its 150th anniversary, in an unusual mode of transport.
Her majesty arrived at the building in Abchurch Lane, London in a Range Rover Rover, not her official Bentley, as the road was too narrow for her normal vehicle to squeeze down. The Queen, dressed in a sea green coat, trimmed with velvet and a matching hat by Angela Kelly, came face to face with herself, as she was shown a display of philatelic artefacts, including a collection of stamps spanning five monarchs from Queen Victoria to herself.
The monarch was on good form, as she was shown correspondence between her grandfather King George V and leading figures from the Royal Philatelic Society during her tour. The Queen’s grandfather was a renowned stamp collector, who had an extensive number of stamps and was said to be very knowledgeable about the subject.
It’s been a busy week for the Queen and could still be as this visit comes less than a week after her second son Prince Andrew announced he was stepping down from royal duties, following his BBC Newsnight interview, which focused on his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Meanwhile, the monarch’s Christmas plans could also be disrupted this year, after 10 Downing Street announced that if Boris Johnson remains as Prime Minister, following the election on 12 December, the State Opening of Parliament and the Queen’s speech will take place on 19 December.
The head of state usually travels to Sandringham by train on the Thursday before Christmas Day, but the Queen may have to alter her plans slightly. If there is a change of government, the ceremony and speech will not take place until January 2020.
