Obviously, I didn’t believe the extremely odd story about Queen Elizabeth visiting London without her cane, but I found it interesting because it had the feel of some kind of cover story. Clearly, the Queen’s courtiers want everyone to believe that QEII is hale and hearty and making jaunts to London or Sandringham whenever she feels like it. But what’s the real story? Very few people know. For now, it looks like all of the “worst case scenario” theories about the Queen’s Christmas plans are coming true. Days after she cancelled the pre-Xmas luncheon, she’s now cancelled her trip to Sandringham. She will spend Christmas at Windsor Castle.
Like millions of others, Queen Elizabeth has had to rethink her holiday plans. With COVID-19 cases rocketing in the U.K., the 95-year-old monarch has changed her arrangements for the Christmas and New Year break, opting not to head to Sandringham.
The Queen usually stays at her estate in Norfolk from late December to just after February 6 (the date she became queen at the death of her father George VI nearly 70 years ago), but with the Omicron coronavirus variant causing a surge in cases, PEOPLE has confirmed she has decided to stay at Windsor Castle.
A royal source says it was a personal decision taken after “careful consideration” and reflects an ongoing “precautionary approach.” The source added that she will be visited by various members of the family over the Christmas holiday.
The Queen’s decision means the annual family walk to church on Christmas morning, so popular with royal watchers, also will not take place this year.
While the Sandringham decision was ultimately hers, she has taken advice from her private secretaries who are in touch with the U.K. government about the ongoing rise in cases and the latest restrictions. Throughout the pandemic, she has been mindful of setting the right example within the existing guidelines.
“She has been mindful of setting the right example within the existing guidelines…” No she hasn’t. She’s wandered around maskless for two years, she continued to travel and meet people indoors, in close proximity, and she’s traveled to Balmoral twice during the pandemic. Spare me “the Queen is mindful of the optics.” She isn’t. And I can only imagine that she was probably quite peeved to cancel her trip to Sandringham, and the decision was probably forced on her. The Queen spending Xmas at Windsor does throw a wrench into everybody else’s Christmas plans though. Will the Cambridges still go to Norfolk? Where will Charles and Camilla go? Will Windsor Christmas just be QEII and Andrew rattling around the castle?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
What are we not being told about the Queen’s health? The obfuscation and subterfuge are so obvious.
Totally agree. I still believe her recent trip to Sandringham (by helicopter) was to say goodbye.
@JerseyCow, that’s exactly what I thought when we heard about it, that it was a goodbye trip.
If I had to guess (and obviously this is pure speculation I’m pulling out of my ass!), her illness it at the point where it’s possible that she could die today, but it’s also possible she could push through the coming months and be here a while longer, which is why all of their decisions are so last-minute and contradictory.
@lorelei “possible that she could die today, but it’s also possible she could push through the coming months”
I think this is the issue. Old people can linger a long time, especially with world-class health care. Look at Phillip. At this point, the Brits have a zombie Queen, who her attendants can keep technically alive for years. She needs to be brain dead for anyone to start talking about the unthinkable – even then, they can remain undecided for months.
Besides, like many wealthy people, the Queen probably has a state-of-the-art ICU in her home, most probably in Windsor.
The country is in such crisis under the Tories that I think if it were made widely known that Her Maj is on the way out, we’d have a collective nervous breakdown.
As an American, I don’t really understand that. We worry about the health of (some of) our supreme court justices because of the damage to constitutional rights that their replacements can cause — damage that affects all Americans. We care about who is running the federal reserve, etc. But what does the queen do that the average person thinks is so important to their lives? That’s not snark, I am genuinely curious. Thanks.
Mrs Krabapple, I, too, am bemused. In my view The Queen does nothing that can’t equally effectively be done by Charles, or by anyone else down the line of succession. I think the problem is that this woman has been the Queen for so long that most people who are still alive only know one person as monarch of the UK; she is a major fixture in our lives and her passing will signal a major shift in the firmament, but that’s because we are not programmed to expect changes in British monarchs. There will be a new face on our coins, but we’ll get used to it.
Nothing will change, substantively. The government will be the same. But psychologically, my God. The national anthem will change (I’m really curious about how long it will take for people to stop singing GSTQ). King’s Counsel. On his Majesty’s Service. But I think Andrew’s Nemesis is right; this country is not well, we are governed by idiots, we have chosen to make ourselves poorer in the form of Brexit, and the Queen dying would send us right over the collective edge.
Edward and Andrew and their families live in Windsor so she won’t be alone. As for the optics, the Queen may be apolitical but her courtiers are not. It’s clear they’re playing politics with this decision and they most likely told the her that it would be good for her image if she didn’t go to Sandringham. The talking point coming out of BP is that “she’s leading by example”. This is in contrast to the actions of the British Government which was having parties throughout the pandemic and has put off a decision on when the country goes into lockdown.
Peter Hunt had a good tweet about the decision saying that some of the royals would be secretly happy about this decision. I have no doubt about that because Sandringham Christmases’ sound awful and on top of that the family is made to parade for the press after the Christmas service.
Mummy Carole and Clan Middleton LOVE being in the church pap parade with the Queen, so Carole will be depressed about this news. Odds are good we’ll see W&K&kids plus Middleton/Matthews families doing their own Real Royal Family (TM) church pap parade at Sandringham.
The Middletons have never been invited to Sandringham for Christmas. They have been invited in January. They were there in the Jamuary following Pippa’s wedding. The Queen stays at Sandringham until early February and invites guests to stay.
Yes, they have been. Not every year, but at least twice iirc. Not invited to stay in the large house at Sandringham, but staying with W&K at Anmer and strolling along to the public Christmas service. The years they weren’t invited, Bill and Kate did alternate pap strolls with them to get them press.
There were definitely years where Carole and her fur hat were not far behind the Queen walking to the church service. The years we haven’t seen her then we see the parade for Kate’s birthday in early January.
What a break for everyone with small children. Celebrating Christmas without children seems very odd to me.
Andrew must be very pleased with this change of plan.
Maxwell case has gone to jury so may comeback before Xmas
Secret trip to London? Why are there no pictures? No one even knows where she went.
It seems so fake.
She probably went to King Edward V11 Hospital for a health check. She could have been seen by anyone else there, staff, patients visitors. Photographs would be illegal. It is also a breach of confidentiality to publicise anyone’s medical appointment or treatment without consent.
If she did go to the hospital, no one but staff would have seen her, no other patients or visitors. She was in the hospital overnight in November and we didn’t hear about it until the next day, not even the press knew.
Maybe she did go and that’s why this story is so weird, the press knows why she was in London so they are yanking the royals chain a little bit.
Yeah, when has the queen EVER wondered the streets of London? Once? When WWII ended? And she’s told the story as one of the rarest and greatest nights of freedom in her life.
I think this is much like the Christmas lunch – that its being canceled due to the Queen’s health, but COVID restrictions are a convenient cover right now (or, the staff revolted again like they did last year and are refusing to quarantine for the holidays so she can have her Sandringham Christmas.)
I wonder if she will still host a big Christmas eve dinner (after which the royal scatter to their respective homes, with the Cambridges taking the helicopter to Anmer…..or going to their new house in Windsor…..) or if the various branches of the family will visit her separately. I bet she sees at least some of the Yorks (maybe just Andrew and his daughters) and the Wessexes on Christmas day though. And then we’ll hear a story about how Sophie being with the Queen on Christmas “is what Phillip would have wanted.”
Probably a combination of all that. I bet the staff did revolt again. Hopefully, like with all the people resigning, they are realizing that life is too short to be miserable. Why give up Christmas with your own family so the Queen can travel to another castle?
Good point about the staff. Interesting how these stories are always about the queen protecting her loved ones and setting an example for the nation, but never about all the staff they’d be inconveniencing and putting at risk if they proceeded as they intended to. They are not a normal family!
Omicron is why this is happening. It has spread like wildfire in the UK and Europe and many countries, including provinces in Canada, have been restricting gatherings to help slow the spread until the boosters can be provided to those who want them, which outside of the US remains a fairly high number.
If there was no pandemic and she wasn’t going to Sandringham then that would definitely be a health related reason, but at this point in the UK they don’t want large gatherings and I’m sure the staff didn’t want to be isolated from their family as they would have to have been.
I mean it definitely could be just about Omicron (its spreading here too), but considering we haven’t seen the Queen at a “live” event in months and she was too sick to attend Remembrance, my guess is that the courtiers are relieved to say “its because of the pandemic” if they don’t think the queen is up to a Sandringham Christmas anyway.
@Becks, literally lmao at your last sentence
And I agree that the spread of the variant is just convenient timing for the palace; they have a valid reason to give for every single one of her cancellations without having to utter one word about her health — because although no one knows exactly what her medical situation is, we can all clearly see that it is not good.
My guess is that she will be visited by the Yorks and maybe the Wessexes. I will bet my beloved dog that Chuck-n-Cam do not visit her and instead remain at Highgrove. Can’t say that I blame him after the all the childhood neglect and abandonment.
I’m guessing the Wessexes will invites themselves no matter what. Sophie has to get the queen to grant her kids the “HRH” title before the queen dies, because there’s no way Charles would agree to that. Maybe also ask the queen to put pressure on Charles to commit to giving Edward the DoE title too.
Prince Edward’s children are entitled to HRH status by law. They are grandchildren of a reigning monarch. Their parents chose to raise them with the titles applicable to children of an earl but they are still HRH and can use that status if they want to when they reach 18. The Queen does not need to give them what they already have and Charles cannot take this away from them. As soon as Charles is King Harry’s children also become HRH Prince and Princess. It would take an Act of Parliament to change this.
No act of parliament is required for “HRH” titles, only a statement by the monarch expressing the monarch’s pleasure. The Queen issued a statement when Edward married that his kids shall not be given the HRH titles, only the courtesy titles of children of an Earl. The Queen can always change her mind at any time and make a new statement that gives Edward’s kids the HRH titles, but she hasn’t (yet) done so. She can also take away Andrew’s HRH title any time she wants to, but she hasn’t (yet) done so, and is unlikely to ever do so. But she *could.*
Harry’s situation is different — the Queen did not issue any statement over-ruling the 1917 edict with respect to *his* kids, so they will automatically be “HRH” upon Charles’ reign. “HRH” titles are ENTIRELY within the whim of the monarch, and can be given and taken away by a simple statement. That is not true with the line of succession or some other issues affecting the royals, but “HRH” really is just a monarch’s whim.
Again the queen did not issue a letters patent about Louise and James. It was a media statement and not posted in the gazette like all other legislation including the letters patent that was issued prior to George being born. Louise and James are HRH. They just don’t use it. There is no rule that they have to wait until they are 18 it is simply an agreement they made when Louise was born.
MrsK, you brought that up on purpose!
@anotherlily, it does not take an act of parliament to change that, only new letters patent from the Queen, which she could issue at any point.
The Queen cannot change the fact that Louise is a Princess by being born as the grandchild of a reigning monarch through the male line. She didn’t confer HRH on her and cannot remove it (@Mrs Krabapple the Queen cannot make or change laws without Parliament. ‘The Queen’s pleasure’ does not mean what you appear to think it means. Absolute monarchy ended with Charles 1 ). Louise’s parents and the Queen agreed that their children would be raised with titles applicable to children of an earl. That agreement ends when the child becomes an adult. Louise will decide for herself and will no doubt have been involved in discussions about this over the last year.
Side note: Sophie comes across as really disingenuous and she’s obviously desperate for Charles to gift Edward the Duke of Edinburgh title. She did an interview right after Philip died – talking about how much they miss him while shedding some crocodile tears. Talk of milking someone’s death.
Sorry, this is @Nic919 –
There is no requirement that the statement be published in any particular publication, only (through tradition) that it be in writing. The queen can publish the statement in any manner that she chooses, including a press release from the Palace. I have asked people before to link to any authority that a letters patent regarding “HRH” title be published in a *particular* publication, and nobody has ever found that requirement. It doesn’t exist.
Sophie grieving publicly for the cameras is what Phillip would have wanted.
When was the last time she was seen in person? Something seems off imho. I don’t believe she’s up and about, i think she’s on death’s door and her courtiers are covering bc pwt and chuck are so dismal
She did a meet-and-greet with a sultan (I can’t remember the country, from Oman maybe?) maybe two weeks ago? Charles also met with him that same day or the day after. I’m not sure if there was video released of the meeting or just photos though.
Has she ever left the London hospital?
It’s so hilarious to me that the last 2 years they have been crowing about the Sussexes not coming for Christmas and they were ready to show how United they were as a family post Sussexit and both times their plans have been screwed. Ha
I think this has more to do with politics and optics for sure. People loathe Boris and are rightfully pissed. Could you imagine the royal family trouncing around from Christmas party, helicopter flights, to the Christmas pap walk in this atmosphere?
Maybe Ms. Karma is finally waking up from her nap….
Hey now, Madame Karma is alert, fine and covering this situation nicely. Has she been focused giving the Sussexes back the good that they put out? Yes, and understandably so. Does she have the Cambridges and their court in a slowcooker soaking in their meanness, laziness and ineffectiveness until Karma is ready to serve them to the public on a platter? I like to think so!
@Polo, I know. I hate that the British media has broken my brain — I am *incapable* of reading anything about the Cambridges without automatically thinking of how different the reaction would be to the Sussexes doing the same exact thing. I can’t help it at this point, because it’s gone on for so long. I don’t want to always be comparing them in my head, but it happens every time, and is out of my control.
If the Cambridges stay at Amner for Christmas, it will be spun as precious family time, consideration for the Queen (not wanting to inadvertently pass on a germ to her — even though she’s been sauntering around maskless for the entirety of the pandemic), how pleased W&K are that their children will experience a “normal” Christmas morning, blah blah blah.
If the Sussexes were still living in the UK and didn’t go visit the Queen on Christmas, we’d be hearing well into 2022 about how abhorrent they are, how offensive and disrespectful their behavior was to the Queen, and how they alone ruined her first Christmas without Philip because her one and only Christmas wish was to spend Christmas with Archie and Lilibet.
@Lorelei – we are likely going to be hearing that anyway about the Sussexes, sadly. (sad that the british press is so predictable and desperate.)
@Becks, any one of us here could write the articles right now. That’s how ridiculously repetitive and inane they are.
@ Commonwealthy seemed witty at first, your update on Madame Karma is a beauty to behold!! Thanks for the update!! Let us know when Madame Karma is ready to strike! I don’t want to miss a second of it!!
@ Lorelei, yes! We are well enough trained to be doing their job. It’s extremely simple! Slam the Sussex’s as everything in the royal family is their fault, puff up Mumbelina and her king making attributes, report on the Other Brother to updated us and ongoing raging with anger, while Chuck is bereft about Harry, all while TQ is showing the country how much she lives her life, and her households, as a reflection to how awful things are for her peasants. Plus Edward and Sophie are the rocks that TQ looks to for support, Prince Andrew is assuring his Mum that this lawsuit is a money grab all while Fergie is assuring the world that her ex-husband is the greatest gentleman in all the lands.
I think that covers it, right?
Maybe someone convinced her that doing a reenactment of the annual events played out in ‘Spencer’ isn’t such a great idea right now.
HA!
could be. tho you kno not a one of them would admit to having seen it.
Everyone is probably relieved. Christmas at Sandringham sounds like a nightmare, it probably started okay but got progressively more restrictive every with new rules and dress codes.
My mom is flying in today to spend the holidays with me and my family, the queen should go spend it with Edward and Sophie or Andrew and Sarah.
@ Athena, I am so happy your Mum is coming to spend the holidays with you!!!
It could be that staff at Sandringham were already testing positive. So many young people getting covid right now who were vaccinated but not boosted yet. The Queen’s health seems precarious and she should just sit tight if the current situation is working for her.
I’m more curious as to where the Cambridges end up. There was probably enough notice of the Sandringham cancellation to switch the Xmas plans from Anmer to all Bucklebury all the time.
I’m wondering if that third home is going to be a factor.
Both of my nephews, 21 (in WI) & 23 (in NY), are triple vaxxed: both exposed by roommates . Get this: the NY nephews roommates WENT OUT TO A MOVIE the SAME NIGHT they tested positive! My nephew was SO pissed and begged them to stay home. They went anyway.
Thank God, NY nephew tested negative (PCR) and is now looking for another place to live. He refuses to stay with them anymore and is hanging at his GF’s until he finds his own place.
The WI nephew and all his friends, also triple vaxxed tested positive. He feels a little run down, but he’s also been studying like a fiend for finals, so he’s not sure which is from what. He was supposed to fly home today for 6 wks, but now it’s on hold until he has 2 neg. tests.
This ISN”T a joke. And while we are ALL exhausted from it, we can’t let our guards down.
@jan90067 it’s so scary how this thing has just spread in a matter of days. I’m not sure how governments have been handling it in other countries but here in the U.K it’s been an absolute joke! Cases have reached over 90,000 twice in a week and all these idiots care about is trying to salvage their bs reputation
It is beyond frustrating how business aren’t enforcing indoor mask mandates here. Places I’ve had to go into have people (even service people behind a food counter in groceries!) with masks UNDER their noses, or around their chins (“OOPS, it SLIPPED!” Yeah, right!!). I know a couple of otherwise very smart people who WON’T vax, saying they’ve “been alright so far”, and “I know SOMEONE who died/got sick same day they got the shot, so I’M not doing it” kind of BS.
I am just DONE with these bastards. We could have this so far in the rear view mirror already by denying the virus host bodies to mutate. GGAAAAAHHHHHHHH #$@!%^&!!!!!!
@Jan, I share your frustration, and the worst part, IMO, is that I’m afraid this is just how it’s going to be from now on. Permanently.
Everyone who wanted to get the vaccine already did, and the insane anti-vaxxers are not going to be swayed and come around because they view it as some high moral stance, and, most importantly, they’re smugly “owning the libs.” I know a NURSE who lost her job over it; she’s constantly on Facebook now urging others to “stand their ground” and not let the government force these shots upon them and their children.
I’m conflicted about tougher and broader mandatory masking rules, because it falls on the poor employees — many of whom only make minimum wage — to deal with the lunatics who refuse to comply. Flight attendants and store clerks shouldn’t have to bear the burden of trying to force these people to follow the company’s policies, and they are the ones who will suffer. We’ve already seen so many videos of people going ballistic on some poor employee just trying to do their job. A number of them have been physically attacked. It’s just not right that they would bear the brunt of it going forward, imo.
And I don’t see what’s going to change. The people like us will continue to get the vaccine each year just as we get the flu shot annually, and we’ll get the boosters when recommended, but a significant percentage of the population will not. It’s extraordinarily depressing, but I honestly feel like this is our new normal.
I have no idea what the answer is, but those of us who have been following the rules and doing the right thing all along for more than a year now shouldn’t be penalized by having to wear masks for the rest of our lives because of the deranged MAGATs. I’m clueless as to how this will ultimately play out, but I don’t see a scenario in which much changes. It’s such an awful mess, at least in the US.
Lorelei, I agree with everything you’ve said. I think what’s going to surprise the antivaxxers now is that it appears that if they’ve had covid already, that will not provide the immunity needed to fight Omicron. We’re going to see the hospitals in the low vax states being completely overwhelmed. I feel so sorry for our medical people. I wish there was something I could do for them, because they need to know there are so many of us who really do appreciate them.
Will we deal with this in future? Yes, I think we will. I think they’ve always thought that we would probably need a shot every year like we have with the flu. I keep thinking that the antivaxxers will be weeded out by attrition–they’ll die or end up with long term covid.
@ Jan90067 and @ Lorelei, I also agree! You both have pointed out the constant harm that these selfish assholes are creating. They are creating more unnecessary cases and deaths. Those that do survive, are also looking at possibly living with long haul COVID as well.
In addition, these selfish assholes are causing unnecessary deaths and hardships for those that are in desperate need of health care for varying illnesses, many of whom will die due to their actions.
Unfortunately the actions of anti-vaxxers will continue the mass exodus of HC workers, teachers and a slew of other workers. Employers need to start protecting their workers by having those that assault them be arrested. This includes teachers, HC, restaurants and any industry that interfaces with the general public. No one should have to work in conditions that place them in harms way.
@Saucy, ITA with you about the arrests, but there are *so many* police who are freaking anti-vaxxers that idk how equitably it could be enforced.
And this might come across as unduly cruel, but I think we’re at the point (in the US, at least) at which hospitals should not treat people who deliberately chose not to get vaccinated even though they’ve been available for so long now. (Children excluded since their selfish, stupid parents made the decision for them.)
They are taking up beds and ventilators and resources that other patients need, and it was avoidable. It was totally their decision. Unless someone can show legal proof of a medical exemption, they should be turned away. I feel guilty and horrible even saying this, but these people have got to face some consequences for what they’re doing to our country.
Seems we are all on the same page. Insanity seems to rule now; we just have to do what we have to do to try and keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.
Lorelei, you are NOT being “cruel”. Frankly, I WISH that you’d have to show your vaccine card to get into a hospital at this point. Let the unvaxxed treat their own (seem to be drs and nurses who won’t vax), or let their Drs. Facebook, Google, and Fox “News” treat their covid with their scams and horse paste. Set up a tent near the hospital parking lots and let them go there. Enough is enough.
@ Jan90067, I am so sorry for your sons. What complete utter asses they are!!! I am so glad they are moving out! They shouldn’t be placed in harms way. Such selfish assholes.
Ty, Bothsidesnow. They are my nephews, but I couldn’t love them any more if they were mine 😊
I have to wonder how those other 3 kids’ parents brought them up with such a *selfish* sense of entitlement, SMDH, it truly astounds.
I don’t wanna sound morbid, but are they preparing for her to pass sooner than later or has she already?
@Tiffany
I honestly don’t think she has passed, because even with the best efforts there would be no way it could be kept quiet. Not with her. When you hear the phrase ” London Bridge is down” that will be the clue.
I DO believe that she is way more fragile (I mean she IS 95) than they will admit and I’m sure the RF has been told to stand by and don’t go far
The senior royals anyway
I doubt Charles would be able to contain his glee, that he finally gets what’s he’s been waiting over 70 years for. And William moving one step up the ladder. There would be leaks.
A big fat no. She doesn’t give two hoots about virus precautions looks. We have seen her and her family in enough unmasked, not distancing situations to know better. I think she is not well and this is all one big dumb cover up to cover it up. However they should try to remember that with social media,us the public can clearly look back and see that she has never been a Pilar of COVID being responsible behavior.
I’m just here for the Weekend at Bernie’s theory 😅
But on a more seriousness note, good. Let this elderly lady get some rest ffs.
That reference was utterly brilliant!!
Anyone else get confused by all the locations? Like is there and easy way to know which properties are in which area’s of the U.K.? Who lives in each and the distance between them to London? (which I assume is homebase for all the royal family’s?)
I google, lol. Sometimes The Hench comes on and helps me, haha. (because I can see where things are on a map but it doesn’t necessarily give me a good feel for how far things are, travel-wise. Like if Windsor is really that far from Kensington Palace, etc.)
but basically Sandringham is north-east of London and Anmer Hall is in that general area, Windsor is west of London and Bucklebury (where Kate’s family lives) is a little farther west than that, and Highgrove further west than that.
If you google, you probably could find a map of the locations. I’m sure tabloids have made them. But the main locations are: London, Windsor and Norfolk. There’s also Gloucestershire where Anne and her family lives and where Charles has a house nearby
In London, there’s 4 main royal residences: Kensington Palace (KP), St James’ Palace (SJP), Buckingham Palace (BP) and Clarence House (CH). BP is the residence of the monarch and where QE used to be until she moved to Windsor Castle. I am not toooooo sure but I thiiiiiiiiink Edward and Sophie have an “apartment” inside BP. KP is W&K place and around 10-20 mins drive from BP. Other royals like Duke and Duchess of Kent, Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Prince and Princess Michael have a place on the grounds aka the cottages. H&M used to live in Nottingham Cottage and Eugenie and jack used to live in Ivy Cottage. SJP is another palace and is closer to BP and CH. I don’t think anyone really lives there full time but Anne has an apartment there (I think), Beatrice used to live there and Princess Alexandra has a place there. Finally CH is where Charles and Camilla are.
In Windsor, you’ve got Windsor Castle (WC) where the queen now is. Royal Lodge where Andrew and Fergie are, Frogmore Cottage where H&M used to be but now E&J are and Bagshot Park where the Wessexes are but that’s 11 miles or so away from Windsor. Windsor is about an hours drive away from London.
In Norfolk, you’ve got Sandringham and Anmer aka W&K’s country home. Don’t think anyone else lives there. That’s a few hours drive from London but they probably helicopter it when they need to travel. Then there’s Gloucestershire when Anne lives in Gatcombe Park and C&C have Highgrove, another of their houses. That’s a few hours drive to London.
Then there’s Scotland and Wales where the royals have houses and/or lived there at some point.
If you search A Handy Map of All the Royal Residences in the UK on mentalfloss, you’ll see the map. It is inaccurate about Harry and Meghan’s home (Frogmore House vs. Frogmore Cottage), but the map gives you a good overview.
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/604000/map-of-every-uk-royal-residence
Ty!
Cool map, thanks!
The map is not correct. Frogmore House was never the Sussexes home. They were given the much more humble Frogmore Cottage, originally a row of staff cottages, which was converted to a house. Plus Anne does not own St James’s Palace! It is one of the Crown Estates properties along with Kensington Palace, Windsor, Buckingham Palace.
Many thanks!!
anotherlily, I stated that in my initial post. I put the link in a second post, because rarely do my links make it through moderation.
It isn’t stating who owns what, it is stating where the buildings are. Anne, Alexandra, and Beatrice all have spaces at SJP. Not all of those properties you listed are Crown Estate properties, it all gets very confusing. They can be state owned and not Crown Estate property. The Crown Estate is a separate legal entity.
Buckingham Palace is the official residence for the monarch and is used for state occasions. The Queen and some other royals have apartments there.
Clarence House in central London is Prince Charles’s official residence. It adjoins St James’s Palace which is a mainly administrative building although there are some private apartments. St James’s Palace also has a royal chapel which is where the Cambridges children were Christened.
Prince Charles also owns Highgrove House in Gloucestershire and Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate.
Kensington Palace in London is both a public building and a royal residence. Much of the main building and grounds are open to the public daily. The royal residences are a number of apartments, houses and cottages in a private area of the Palace.
Windsor Castle is about 20 miles outside central London. It is where the Queen now chooses to live when she isn’t needed in London. Much of the surrounding land is open to the public. Royal Lodge is a separate residence in Windsor Great Park and is currently home to Prince Andrew.
Prince Edward lives at Bagshott Park, near Windsor. He doesn’t own this residence, the Queen leased it for him. Princess Anne owns Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire. Her children have houses on the grounds.
Sandringham House and Estate is the Queen’s personal property in Norfolk over 100 miles from London. It includes farmland and villages. The Cambridges’ home is on the Sandringham Estate.
Balmoral Castle and Estate is also the Queen’s personal property in Scotland near Aberdeen.
Not all of this is correct. One simple one – Charles does not own Highgrove House. The Duchy of Cornwall purchased it as his marital home for his first marriage, and sold the other house they had purchased for him to live in. But Charles doesn’t own the Duchy of Cornwall or any of those properties personally. Another – Clarence House and SJP are not adjoined. They are separate buildings next to each other, but CH stands alone. SJP has massive townhomes for Anne and Alexandra, plus the 4 bedroom one Beatrice occupies now. Not exactly small ‘apartments’.
The fact that people are having to write dissertations here just to explain all the properties the BRF has access to just underscores the ridiculous amount of unearned privilege they hold. The system is a joke.
That’s what was running through my mind as I looked at that map linked by nota. Good gad!
The historic royal residences which are not in private ownership are managed by the Crown Estates. The reigning monarch embodies The Crown which owns these Estates and under an arrangement dating back to the 18th century the revenue from the Estates is given to the Treasury. The Treasury then pays a proportion of the revenue to the reigning monarch to cover all working expenses.
Until the system was changed other royals also received an allowance from the Treasury. This was the Civil List. The new system pays everything to the Queen as the Sovereign’s Grant and the Queen pays the expenses of those royals who have official duties with the exception of the Prince of Wales and the Cambridges. Prince Charles has the revenue from the Duchy of Cornwall as his personal income and he meets the expenses of the Cambridges.
Yes, as an American it seems like a joke to me. But I appreciate all the knowledgeable people who have posted the above information, on who lives where (or used to). Some great knowledge on these forums.
@anotherlily – yes, we understand the sovereign grant here. That does nothing to diminish the “ridiculous amount of unearned privilege they hold” as Sid put it.
Thanks everyone for replying to this I’ve copied & pasted your comments and links into my notes for future reference 🤓 very handy
I bet old liz is thinking if she had just shut down the KP smear campaign her favorite grandson and his family would still be living in Frogmore cottage and she would see Archie and Lili all the time. Christmas would be a lot less lonely with the Sussex’s.
That’s the problem with being reactionary and leading with fear instead of kindness. You reap what you sow.
Becky don’t like kids that much, they’re not Corgis. Most likely she saw Archie Once in person, 2 days after his birth.
@Lizzie, I know people say that the Queen lives for the pomp & circumstance of the Christmas events, my opinion is she might be kind of done with them and doesn’t want to spend time with the people that through their own jealousy and stupidity ran Harry & Meghan out. H & M are/were the most likeable of the RF. Charismatic, intelligent, conversational and more fun to be around. Her 70 plus reign is shambolized by dumbf&cks. The good ones are gone. Merry/Happy effin Christmas. The Queen is very well aware of the stories about her needing to step down for the future future Queen Consort Kate. (I’m sure C & C are completely thrilled with the stories too)
The BM have discussed ad nauseum about H & M being disrespectful (they have not been), KP/W&K/BM are the worst at being disrespectful to the Queen & Charles. At least one RR should have the balls to call them out for it.
I don’t know – things change as one grows older. People get tired and don’t have the energy for big events. Plus, Covid isn’t just an issue for the RF, but also for all the staff of the RF. And with all the break-through cases, who wants to put TQ in danger?
That would be a regular family, not one like this. In this family, they vie for things like how close you are seated to the Queen, if you’re close enough to her to be in the same frame of pics of her walking to church. All of those silly things matter and show your ‘status’ in the family.
The Queen doesn’t walk to church at Sandringham. She arrives by car.
Seating arrangements for official occasions are decided by order of precedence.
Nota’s overall point still stands though, about a family obsessed with status and closeness to the Queen.
It IS considered status to be “chosen” to drive with her to/from the church service.
Perfect case in point is Kate shoving others out of the way on the balcony for Trooping the Color in order to be in front and nearby the Queen.
@anotherlily omg, of course some things are decided by precedence. But fighting for closeness to the Queen is still absolutely a thing and that’s why we so much of that fighting play out in the press.
@Feeshalori perfect example.
@Becks1, she even elbowed Camilla aside when Camilla had precedence to stand in front and close to HM.
@Jan, so true, Sophie used to ride in the car with the Queen to/from church numerous times. You can’t tell me Sophie wasn’t in her glory over being the chosen one!
Sure, but that doesn’t mean TQ has to go somewhere to be close to her family. If the RF want to show how devoted they are and how high up the ladder they are, TQ can just sit in her comfy chair and let them come to her.
In any case, my point is that TQ doesn’t have to be on her deathbed to cancel Sandringham – she can be just plain old and tired, like anybody else her age. Add in the logistics of Omicron, and it doesn’t seem so sinister to me.
She walks in and out of church, out to the crowd, collects flowers, and poses. The prime spot for pics is reserved for Beatrice and Eugenie, who have been assigned the task of helping her collect flowers since they were young children. That’s one of the ways QEII shows the status of the York daughters to the rest of the grandchildren. And whomever sits nearest to her in the church, yes, it is a sign of who is on the fav list right now. Just like Sophie getting a lift in the car with her for years was considered showing how close they are. At private events, the Queen seats people wherever she pleases. The Order of Precedence is about who bows/curtsey to whom, not where QEII seats them at lunch.
My theory is, once everything began opening up earlier this year after last year’s Covid restrictions, the people around TQ – and likely she herself – figured she’d resume her previous schedule, no problem. But a year of relative inactivity at that age can take a physical toll. And then there’s Phillip, living FT with her for the first time in a number of years, obviously quite ill, and who ultimately passed, all of which would have taken a mental toll.
It seems clear something specific happened that made everyone realize TQ needed to dial back on her schedule, and apparently change her habits (alcohol). How serious that was remains unknown, but I personally doubt she’s on her deathbed. She may have fallen, but also, the bruises on her hands, etc., suggest she’s possibly on a blood thinner (and could have been for a while), which in itself doesn’t mean she’s necessarily in dire straits. Agree with @anotherlily above, her rumored brief appearance a day or two ago is very possibly due to a medical visit. I think the courtiers are prioritizing her appearance next year at the Jubilee, and keeping her safe for that at all costs is the main objective.
Having said all that, it does seem a bit odd that we haven’t seen that much of HM recently, but the PR instincts of the RF are so piss poor, it’s hard to know what to make of that.
I bet they used COVID to avoid talk of the Sussexes not being there.
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She didn’t cancel Sandringham, Sandringham cancelled her. I would be willing to bet staff there has tested positive and they are isolating. I don’t believe for a minute , given her age, that she is concerned with anything but her own needs and wishes.
Optically, it’s not a good time for any public figures to be overly celebratory.
I’m inclined to agree with a previous comment on her most recent visit to Sandringham being a goodbye trip. I’ve visited and it’s a strange place, full of furniture and everywhere you look surfaces covered in pictures and porcelain. Must be a nightmare to navigate, especially with an elderly person who has mobility issues – not sure if it has a lift. Also, it’s too far away from the London hospitals in the event of a medical emergency (I know she has access to helicopters, but time is always crucial when getting someone to hospital quickly). Windsor is closer to London and it’s already set up for her current needs regarding any medical issues she is dealing with.