Royal watchers will be thrilled to see that Her Majesty returned to her official duties on Saturday – attending the annual Braemar Gathering in Scotland after finishing up her summer break at Balmoral. The event, which the Queen is known to thoroughly enjoy, features traditional highland games such as tug-of-war and stone-throwing, as well as charming highland dancing and pipe band performances.
The monarch smiled happily as she arrived at the event, looking radiant in a turquoise dress coat teamed with her signature Launer handbag. The 92-year-old has remained fairly under the radar since leaving Buckingham Palace for her holiday during the warmer weather – though she was spotted on a few occasions attending church, even making a surprise appearance with her granddaughter-in-law the Duchess of Cambridge.
The Queen is thought to be staying in Scotland until October, and is expected to make various public appearances during the remainder of her time there. Scroll through our gallery to see the best snaps of her outing on Saturday…
The Queen was joined by Prince Charles, known in Scotland as the Duke of Rothesay, and the Princess Royal and her husband Timothy Lawrence for the festivities - standing in front of the crowds on their arrival.
As ever, Her Majesty was beaming as she arrived at the event, which she is known to thoroughly enjoy!
The monarch receives a beautiful posy of flowers from a young girl, who she chatted to for a moment.
Again, Her Majesty can't help but smile as she settles down to enjoy the day's events, which she has attended ever since she was a little girl.
Something's certainly funny! The Queen smiles and son Charles stifles a giggle as the trio take their seats.
Whatever Charles is saying to the Queen, it's certainly raised a smile! The monarch was clearly enjoying her day out and is more than happy to be returning to her official duties.
A right tug 'o' war! The competitors put their all into the traditional event. The Braemar Gathering is a traditional Scottish highland games which predates the 1745 Uprising, and since 1848 it has been regularly attended by the reigning monarch.
A closer look at the Queen's beautiful turquoise hat, which features velvet leaf details and a wide brim - matching perfectly with the velvet lapel of her coat. She paired the look with a pretty golden leaf brooch, too.
A competitor wows the crowds as he takes part in the strenuous hammer throw event.