The Queen's winter holiday has officially come to an end. On 11 February, the monarch was seen boarding a train at King's Lynn station in Norfolk, bound for London. For the journey, the 93-year-old wore a pale blue patterned headscarf and blue coat, and carried her trademark black handbag. The Queen has spent seven weeks in Norfolk. She departed London for her Christmas break at Sandringham on 20 December. Traditionally she remains in Norfolk until after the 6 February – a bittersweet day for the monarch, as it marks the anniversary of her father King George VI's death and the day she became Queen. This year marked the 68th year of her reign.
The Queen pictured at King's Lynn train station on Tuesday morning
The Queen's return to London comes amid turbulent times for the monarch, and the royal family. Hours earlier, it was confirmed that her eldest grandson Peter Phillips and his wife, Autumn Phillips, had decided to end their 11-year marriage – news that is said to have greatly upset Her Majesty since Peter will be the first of her grandchildren to divorce. It comes after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made their own bombshell announcement in January, confirming they were stepping back as senior royals. In response, the Queen held a crisis summit at Sandringham, where it was decided that Harry and Meghan would leave royal life completely in favour of a new life of personal and financial freedom, drop their HRH styles and spend most of their time in Canada.
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Peter and Autumn Phillips split
Furthermore, in November, the Queen's third child, Prince Andrew, stepped down from royal public duties following his Newsnight interview about his association with Jeffrey Epstein. In a statement released by Buckingham Palace, Andrew said: "It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family's work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support.
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"Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission." He added: "I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required."
