The Queen returns to her ‘happy place’ at Balmoral
IT IS where the Queen is at her most content, relishing the great outdoors while welcoming a steady stream of relatives for long walks, riding and barbecues.
Her Majesty, 95, was clearly delighted to return to Balmoral yesterday, beaming from ear to ear as she was officially welcomed to her Highland retreat. Dressed in a bright pink outfit that appeared to match her mood, she inspected a guard of honour in a small ceremony outside the castle gates.
The Queen, colonel-in-chief of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, wore her regimental brooch for the brief event.
She looked in high spirits as she cast her eye over soldiers from Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, under the Command of Major Cameron Law.
The Queen travelled to Scotland on July 23 but stayed at Craigowan Lodge, on the Balmoral estate, while the castle remained open to the public. The main house was closed on Aug 2, allowing staff to prepare for her arrival.
Her wide smile indicated her joy at the return to relative normality.
Although it is the first summer she will spend in Scotland without her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, by her side, she is looking forward to catching up with friends and loved ones.
The estate is imbued with memories of the Duke, who is said to have described it as their “happy place”, the retreat to which they withdrew every summer of their 73-year marriage and where he whiled away the hours fishing and shooting.
The Queen will keep busy horse riding and walking on the moors. The Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Cambridges, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are all expected to join her in the coming weeks.