The Queen will turn 95 years old in April, and reports say Her Majesty and Prince Philip will return to Buckingham Palace in London for the official celebrations in June.
The Sunday Times reports the monarch and Duke of Edinburgh be back in the U.K. capital in time for Trooping the Colour, the Queen's official birthday celebrations. They are scheduled to take place on June 12. The Duke of Edinburgh's 100th birthday falls two days before, on June 10, so it is likely that would also factor into the planning.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have been isolating at Windsor Castle for most of the coronavirus pandemic, with brief stays at Sandringham and Balmoral. This was the first Christmas the pair spent at Windsor since 1987.
In March, it will be one year since the monarch departed London ahead of the U.K.'s first COVID-19 lockdown to shelter in Windsor, so the return to Buckingham Palace would be poignant.
The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace in London for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic on March 19, 2020. Photo: © Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty Images
According to a senior royal aide, the current plan is for the Queen's birthday parade to go ahead with the understanding it might have to be altered to fit in with the current COVID-19 regulations at the time.
In 2020, Trooping the Colour wasn't able to be held in its traditional form due to the coronavirus pandemic. A low-key version of the event took place at Windsor Castle with social distancing and no crowds.
Trooping the Colour 2020 took place in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle on June 13. Photo: © Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images
The event is typically the biggest highlight of the royal calendar, with many members of the Royal Family and crowds of people coming together to celebrate Her Majesty's birthday. Royal watchers love seeing the family gather on the Buckingham Palace balcony to wave at the crowds after the parade finishes.
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The reports of the Queen and Philip returning to London come after it was confirmed they received COVID-19 vaccinations on Jan. 9 from a Household Doctor at Windsor Castle.
It has also been recently reported Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan may return to the United Kingdom in June for Trooping the Colour. If the travel plans were to go ahead, it would mark the first time the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been in the U.K. since stepping down for their senior royal roles. Last year, they bought a house in Montecito, Calif.
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