The Queen will reportedly no longer live at Buckingham Palace after making Windsor Castle her permanent home. Usually residing in London, the Queen spent the last two years working at home from Windsor Castle due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 95-year old, who has recently suffered from more health concerns including Covid-19, is said to have made Windsor Castle her home, with the palace no longer deemed a suitable long-term option. Buckingham Palace has been the official royal residence since 1837 and is currently undergoing a £369 million refurbishment, due to be completed in 2027.
When renovations first began, it was planned the Queen would move out of her private apartments temporarily. But it has been decided that she will move out permanently to minimise her travel, reports The Mirror.
It's understood the Queen will also permanently work from home at Windsor Castle. The record-breaking monarch will celebrate her 96th birthday this year, and was reported to have said that she “couldn’t move” as she leaned on her walking stick at a meeting at the Castle last month.
Last October, the Queen was advised to rest for several weeks on doctor’s orders, after going for tests at hospital for an unspecified illness. She also tested positive for Covid-19 last month, experiencing “light symptoms” while she continued to carry out “light duties”.
The Queen spent much of lockdown at Windsor with Prince Philip until his death in April last year. It is expected that Her Majesty will return and “be visible” at Buckingham Palace for festivities such as the Platinum Jubilee celebrations this year.
For her birthday on June 2, she will still appear on the balcony of the central London residence. And the Union Jack, which flies to signify the monarch is not at the Palace, will now remain permanently, disappointing any tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of her while visiting London.
During the pandemic, the Queen did not switch her residence seasonally as normal, where she typically spends summer with family at Balmoral in Aberdeenshire and takes up residence at her Norfolk estate, Sandringham, from December until mid-February. Her next event outside Windsor Castle is the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on, this month on March 14.
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