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In normal times, London’s Buckingham Palace is home to Queen Elizabeth – but amid the coronavirus pandemic, the British monarch has not lived there since March, when she and Prince Philip first began isolating themselves at Windsor Castle. The couple were recently able to travel to Balmoral, the Queen’s Scottish estate, for their annual summer holiday – albeit with some security adjustments – but it does not look like a return to Buckingham Palace is on the cards anytime soon.
A new report in the Sunday Times claims that the Queen will not be “in the foreseeable future” at her residence in London, in what is thought to be her longest absence from Buckingham Palace during her decades-long reign. Instead, once she returns from Balmoral, she will stay at Windsor Castle again, commuting to engagements and events in London if she feels safe. According to the report, the monarch will not return to the palace “until the coronavirus threat is lifted.”
“There is a desire to get Buckingham Palace up and running as a palace, but only if all relevant advice suggests it is appropriate to do so,” a royal source told the publication.
Instead, the Queen relies on maintaining “bubbles” of staff to minimize the risk of exposure. She and Philip were able to travel to Balmoral in part because of this system, and the The time reports that the royals plan to use the same system during the monarch’s Christmas break so they can stay at Sandringham as usual.
But while the Queen may not move to London for a while, other royalty will likely return soon, including Prince Charles and Camilla and Prince William and Kate Middleton, who will be staying at Clarence House and Kensington Palace respectively.
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