If your life has been altered by the many societal changes that have come with COVID-19, you're not alone. Queen Elizabeth has had years of tradition and routine thrown to the wayside since March. The 94-year-old monarch and 99-year-old Prince Philip left Buckingham Palace a week early to head to Windsor Castle back in March. Now it seems they won't return to London until 2021.
Queen Elizabeth is spending her regularly scheduled summer in Balmoral right now. Reports now indicate that when the Queen departs her private residence in September, she will not return to London. She will head back to Windsor Castle, an hour outside of London. Both Windsor and Balmoral are private residences. That means they require less working staff than Buckingham Palace, which is a working palace with offices.
The uncertainty of when the Queen will return to Buckingham Palace concerns many who are loyal to the monarchy. Earlier this year, Andrew Morton deemed the Queen's reign "effectively over" because of the virus. There's some sincere concern that the Queen won't be seen making public engagements again.
Queen Elizabeth is playing it safe when it comes to her health. The 94-year-old monarch has hunkered down in Windsor Castle since March. When her summer holiday in Balmoral ends in September, it looks like she'll continue on that way.
Good Morning America reports that after the Queen's Scotland summer, she and Prince Philip will return to Windsor Castle. Windsor Castle is a private residence, meaning it requires less staff to run than Buckingham Palace. Buckingham Palace also has more traffic through it as a working palace with offices in it.
That doesn't mean that the Queen won't make public appearances if they are deemed safe, however. There have been talks of the Queen commuting in from Windsor, an hour outside of London, for events if they are approved. As far as living arrangements go, however, she and Philip are likely to stay at Windsor until 2021.
The Queen has adapted to working virtually during shutdowns. She's done only a single event in person, the investiture of Captain Tom Moore. The event took place right after Princess Beatrice's surprise wedding last month and was held outdoors to ensure the 100-year-old's safety, as well as the Queen's.
The rest of the Queen's work has been done online. Her Majesty has participated in a number of video calls surrounding her many patronages, as well as kept up on her work alongside the government. While she's certainly excelled beyond expectations in this format, a big part of her is reportedly yearning for the old-fashioned way of doing things.
Thankfully, the Queen will get some time with family this summer. All the royals have been isolating separately since March. While they've tried virtual get-togethers, it's reported that Prince Charles and Camilla, as well as Prince William and his family, will travel to see the Queen in Balmoral at some point. More recent rumors also indicate that Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson, and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their spouses will also pop in.
The mess around Prince Andrew is likely another reason why Queen Elizabeth is in no rush to return to Buckingham Palace. Just this past weekend, an anti-pedophilia protest was held outside of the historic home of the monarch. The lack of media coverage of the event in the UK has many believing the palace's influence will continue to protect the prince against the serious accusations made against him.
Those who are loyal to the monarchy fear that the negative press coverage around certain members of the royal family is causing the Crown immeasurable harm. Couple that with the fact that this year went largely without the royal family's many appearances, and you can see why many are concerned the Firm may fade into obscurity.
If nothing else, people are concerned that Queen Elizabeth's historic reign will end with a whimper if she's not able to get back to her duties as we've come to know them.
Much of the UK doesn't seem to be particularly ready for Charles to rule, either. The feelings on his capabilities as a leader have flip-flopped over the years. For some, he never recovered from his divorce from Princess Diana and her death. It's hard to say if royal fans will have the same loyalty they've had to the Queen for her son.
There has also been a lot of talk about how Harry and Meghan factor into a future Charles reign. Some believe Harry will be more inclined to return to the UK and possibly to royal duties with his father in charge. For the couple's son, Archie, Charles' ascension to the throne will mean Archie gets the title of "prince" and "His Royal Highness," which he'll have the choice to use when he turns 18.
It doesn't seem likely we'll see a return from Harry and Meghan, however. Harry was already very close to the Queen, but that closeness couldn't keep his family safe. There's no indication that would change under Charles. Whatever is next for the monarchy, change is on the horizon, and the world is watching to see how it will play out.
