12 Things Queen Elizabeth Still Does On A Daily Basis

The Queen has a unique alarm clock: bagpipers playing on the terrace below her Buckingham Palace apartment.

As she wakes up, she will listen to Today on BBC Radio 4 while sipping on some Twinings English breakfast tea with milk, no sugar.

After a bath, Elizabeth enjoys a meal much like many of us, starting the day with Cornflakes or Special K with fresh or dried fruit. She usually eats alone or with her husband, Philip, who joins her while she catches up on the news.

On Christmas, she treats herself to scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, and perhaps some shaved truffle if she's received it as a holiday gift.

The Queen will select a few random letters sent to the palace that she will answer personally. She'll then leave detailed instructions with her ladies-in-waiting for the rest.

According to reports from Mirror Online, she was even sent a £50 note once from a fan celebrating her achievement as the longest reigning monarch in history. He told her to enjoy her "favorite cup of tea." However, Elizabeth is unable to accept monetary gifts from the public, so she sent the cash back with a note saying she was "deeply moved."

The HM Treasury explains how these boxes have long been used to dispatch important official documents needing the Queen's attention.

"For information with a higher security level (such as ‘Secret’) they are required to use dispatch boxes, which offer a higher level of security, and which are usually red," according to the treasury.

After her morning routine at the palace, Elizabeth and Philip make their way around town to attend official visits. They can squeeze up to three of these outside engagements in before lunch.

On Thursdays and Fridays, the Queen heads back to the palace around 11 a.m. to attend more brief meetings with senior staff members, visiting ambassadors, or other heads of state. They tend to last no longer than 20 minutes, according to the royal's official website.

Unless she's at a catered event, the Queen likes to keep her carbs to a minimum. Instead, she prefers a simple fish-and-veggie dish for her midday meal at around 1 p.m.

She tends to eat alone, but Philip will join her once a month for an informal lunch reception with guests.

Elizabeth will hand-pick her royal engagements for the afternoon. Everything is meticulously scheduled for her to complete over 100 official visits each year — even her relatives have to request a time in her schedule before popping by to say hello.

At about 4 p.m., the Queen will enjoy a snack of Earl Grey tea, scones, finger sandwiches, cookies known as "jam pennies," and her favorite chocolate biscuit cake. If possible, she'll also spend some time with her beloved dogs.

At 7:30 p.m., she catches up on what the Parliament has been up to with a report written each day by one of the government whips.

If she's not attending a banquet, the kitchen chefs will prepare a modest meal of game or fish taken from the royal stocks. Prince Charles is also known to be an avid gardener who regularly provides his parents and the palace with fresh veggies.

Before bed, the Queen relaxes with her favorite television programs. She was a big fan of Downton Abbey when it was on the air, paying extra-close attention to catch any mistakes. According to reports from Metro, she is also reportedly a big fan of The X Factor — which means she was likely delighted to shake hands with the lads from One Direction, shown above meeting her back in 2012.

Plenty of reports claimed Elizabeth also enjoyed several alcoholic beverages throughout her day, but according to CNN, that was a misinterpretation of former palace chef Darren McGrady's statement about one of her favorite cocktails, gin and Dubonnet, which she only enjoys on occasion.

Were you surprised by any of the Queen's daily habits?

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