queen philip windsor© Photo: Getty Images

The Queen and Prince Philip return to Windsor together for second England lockdown

The Duke of Edinburgh had been staying in Sandringham

Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
November 2, 2020

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh returned to Windsor Castle together on Monday after leaving Sandringham ahead of England’s second national lockdown on 5 November, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.

It comes after the 94-year-old monarch visited her 99-year-old husband last Thursday at Wood Farm, the low-key farmhouse on the Norfolk estate where he has spent most of his time since retiring from public duties in 2017.

It is not known at this stage whether the Queen and the Duke will reside in Windsor for the remainder of the year. Typically, Her Majesty travels to Sandringham a few days before Christmas to spend her winter break in Norfolk.

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HELLO! understands that it is too early for Buckingham Palace to confirm the royal family's Christmas plans, given the current circumstances amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Ahead of the first lockdown, back in March, the Queen and Prince Philip both moved to Windsor Castle, where they self-isolated for four months alongside select members of staff who were dubbed "HMS Bubble".

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© Photo: Getty Images

The Queen and Prince Philip will reside at Windsor Castle for the second lockdown

In August, the royal couple travelled to Balmoral for their traditional summer break and were joined by members of their family, including the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank.

The Queen has carried out her duties remotely by telephone and video calls. She made an in-person appearance at her first public engagement outside a royal residence in seven months on 15 October and was joined by her grandson Prince William to visit the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), near Salisbury.

The monarch has also publicly addressed the nation twice – firstly as the UK went into lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic in April and secondly, to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day in May.

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