Queen Elizabeth Returns to Windsor Castle While Prince Philip Stays Behind at Sandringham

Queen Elizabeth, 94, left Windsor Castle in August to head to Scotland for her summer break but has returned to Windsor to resume her royal duties

Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth. Photo: TOBY MELVILLE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth has returned to Windsor Castle for the first time since August.

She has left her husband Prince Philip at Sandringham, where the couple had relocated from their Scottish retreat Balmoral Castle in September.

The Queen, 94, came back to Windsor on Tuesday, PEOPLE has confirmed.

It is typical for her to return to London or Windsor around this time of year, following her break in Balmoral Castle. But this year, the couple cut their time in Scotland short and visited their home on the monarch's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk (around 110 miles north of London) for a few weeks. That break enabled the Queen to spend some time with Philip, 99, at secluded Wood Farm, the farmhouse he has largely been living in since his retirement from public life three years ago.

Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

When it was confirmed that the couple would head to Sandringham, it was said by the palace that it was Elizabeth's "intention" to return to Windsor Castle in October, where she and Philip, 99, spent much of the spring and summer amid the coronavirus pandemic.

It remains her plan to return to Buckingham Palace in London for "selected audiences and engagements."

Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Windsor Castle. Steve Parsons/PA

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Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip had been isolating together at Windsor Castle since March amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, they did step out for a special occasion last month: the wedding of their granddaughter Princess Beatrice to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

The Queen Confers The Honour Of Knighthood On Captain Sir Thomas Moore
Queen Elizabeth and Captain Tom Moore. Chris Jackson/Getty Images

During her time at Windsor, one of her public events was to knight super-fundraiser Captain Sir Tom Moore.

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