Prince Philip looks well as he and Queen leave Balmoral to head back to Sandringham after summer break
PRINCE Philip looked well this afternoon as he and the Queen were driven from Balmoral as they finish up their summer break.
The pair headed back to Sandringham after cheerily waving farewell to a group of well-wishers.
The Duke of Edinburgh, 99, smiled widely and waved back as he left the Scottish castle.
Her Majesty, in a headscarf and looking equally relaxed, gave the crowd a grin and a wave as they were driven by.
The Royal couple, who celebrate 70 years of marriage on Nov 20 then flew from Aberdeen Airport to Norfolk.
Other members of the Royal family are expected to stay on at the estate until the end of the month.
Prince Philip and the Queen are expected to stay at Sandringham for two weeks, before both returning to Windsor.
Philip wanted to stay at Sandringham but there are too few royal staff to create two bubbles 130-miles apart, insiders revealed.
The Covid pandemic has kept Her Maj, 94, from engagements since March.
But she will lead by example by ending her summer break early to work at Buckingham Palace from next month.
Insiders say she “fully intends” to lead the nation at Remembrance Day at the Cenotaph in London on November 8.
ROYAL BUBBLE
In lockdown she and Philip, 99, have been surrounded by a ring of protection called HMS Bubble.
She has missed Trooping the Colour, Palace garden parties and Maundy Thursday events.
But she has continued receiving government red boxes and holding weekly calls with the PM.
She briefly stepped out of isolation for a scaled-down birthday, to give a knighthood to Capt Sir Tom Moore, and to be a guest at Princess Beatrice’s wedding.
While on holiday in Scotland she was out riding most days, took walks to favourite spots and managed to see much of her close family while keeping socially distanced.
Balmoral Castle website said tourism will resume there, saying: “We are pleased to announce that Balmoral guided tours will start on 3rd October, 2020. Please visit our website for more details.”
It costs the Queen an estimated £3m annually to run the 50,000 acre estate and castle and half of that comes from tourist revenue.
Usually they are open until the end of July when the Queen moves in to the castle at the beginning of August.
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Yesterday the Queen, Kate Middleton and Prince William wished Prince Harry a “very happy birthday” – but Meghan Markle was nowhere to be seen in the pictures.
The Duke of Sussex rang in his 36th birthday in Los Angeles after a whirlwind 12 months that has seen his life transformed.
Harry is now living in California with wife Meghan and son Archie after they made the sunshine state their home just before the coronavirus lockdown began in March.
And the Royal Family tweeted yesterday morning, writing: “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy birthday!”
