Queen Elizabeth caught up with her only daughter, Princess Anne, following weeks of lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her Majesty was finally able to see a member of the royal family in person.
According to the Daily Mail, Queen Elizabeth treated Anne to a socially distanced lunch on Monday at Frogmore House on the Windsor estate. No other family members were there and the Queen's staff was kept to a handful.
Buckingham Palace declined to say why Anne met with the Queen. However, the lunch likely took place because Queen Elizabeth's daughter will be celebrating her birthday in a few days.
Hello reported Anne had a royal engagement at Windsor that Monday as well. She met with some members of The King's Royal Hussars, where she is the Colonel-in-Chief.
Queen Elizabeth has been isolating at Windsor Castle with her husband, Philip, since the middle of March. Anne has been staying at home at her estate in Gatcombe Park, with her husband, Sir Timothy Laurence. Her own children, Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall, have houses near her estate and Anne's grandchildren often visited during the lockdown.
Following Queen Elizabeth and Anne's lunch, Her Majesty and Philip left Windsor Castle and moved to Balmoral in Scotland. Photos showed the 94-year-old monarch boarding a private plane. The Queen's dogs were also aboard.
Queen Elizabeth and Philip are expected to stay in isolation at Balmoral until the end of October. While there, staff will be required to observe strict safety protocols to prevent infections.
Members of the royal family will also have to observe a socially distanced visit if they want to see the Queen and the duke. Activities at Balmoral will reportedly be limited to outdoors. Visitors will also be asked to stay at other apartments within the estate and not at Balmoral Castle.
Prince Charles is reportedly already in Scotland ahead of his mother and father. He and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, could likely see Queen Elizabeth and Philip in person soon.
The monarch usually makes her annual trip to Balmoral for the summer. She will continue to have a weekly audience with Prime Minister Boris Johnson over the phone.
