Why the Queen has cut her holiday short and is heading back to Sandringham

Her majesty was expected to stay in Balmoral until the end of September.

Her Majesty the Queen, Elizabeth II
(Image credit: PA)

The Queen is set to cut short her summer break at Balmoral Castle and head to her Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

  • The Queen has decided to cut short her holiday to spend time at another royal residence.
  • The change to her schedule is thought to be sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.
  • It's also thought that Her Majesty won't return to Buckingham Palace for the foreseeable future in light of the health crisis gripping the UK.
  • This royal news comes after the Duchess of Cornwall sent out a poignant message to those who have been victims of abuse during the pandemic.

Queen Elizabeth II, 94, and her husband Prince Phillip, 99, are expected to travel to the royal Sandringham Estate next week to stay at the five-bedroom Wood Farm residence - cutting short their Balmoral Castle stay by three weeks.

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Palace officials confirmed that the monarch will be leaving Balmoral for the Norfolk estate instead of returning to Windsor Castle, where she and Prince Philip spent the majority of the coronavirus lockdown.

However, the Queen's return to Norfolk won't mean she can spend quality time with her grandson and great grandchildren as it is thought the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have returned to their Kensington Palace home in London for Prince George and Princess Charlotte to continue with their schooling at St Thomas' Battersea.

While her majesty enjoys the stay in Sandringham, royal staff will be working to find a way to allow her to safely travel between the estate and Windsor Castle.

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Her Majesty and Prince Philip are believed to be planning their return to Buckingham Palace in October time but plan to stay away from their iconic London abode for the time being, in order to reduce their risk of catching Covid-19 from one of the many staff working at the palace.

They have spent the lockdown period and the summer break to Balmoral with a limited amount of staff in order to reduce their risk of coming into contact with the potentially deadly illness.

Selina Maycock
Senior Family Writer

Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)