A day in the life of The Queen her daily

routine
February 3, 2016 Victoria Howard

Queen Elizabeth II, who recently became the longest-reigning British Monarch in
history, is busy from morning until midnight it would seem Take a look at The
Queens daily routine and how she spends most of her time.

The Queens day is always busy. Picture by: Splash News

Rising at around 8.30 am, Her Majesty is greeted by the sounds of the bagpipes
each morning at nine, as a piper plays on the terrace beneath her apartment at
Buckingham Palace. She usually takes a bath before having breakfast in her
apartment alone, and it is usually Cornflakes or Special K cereal and fresh or dried
fruit. At Christmas, when she usually receives truffles as a gift, The Queen has
scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and a grating of truffle as a festive treat.

Starting the day out with the formalities before any of the fun starts, The Queen
takes her time to read the daily newspapers, catching up with the latest news in the
world she is Head of State of 16 governments, and leader of the Commonwealth
of 53 nations, and so it is important to stay abreast of world news.

Then its down to the fan mail, as it might be called: Her Majesty can receive
over 300 letters from the public every single day, and she makes it her personal
mission to choose a few which she would like to reply to each morning, usually
taking a random sample. The ones she doesnt have time to reply to personally are
answered by a lady-in-waiting, who is given instructions on how the replies are to
be written.

The Queen spends time away from her desk travelling the country

In contrast to a morning sat at her desk (like the rest of us), The Queen often
spends her mornings out in the UK, undertaking engagements. Normally, these
visits are on behalf of her patronages, and she is usually accompanied by her
husband, The Duke of Edinburgh. The couple visit venues across the country,

2
sometimes this is up to three visits before lunch! Both Her Majesty and Prince
Philip, 89 and 94 respectively, are still very active and carry out hundreds of
engagements each year.

After all the morning work, when at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle on
Thursdays and Fridays, the clock is only reading 11, and its time for Her Majesty
to attend meetings. The Queen dedicates one-on-one time with special guests, such
as overseas ambassadors, High Commissioners, newly appointed British
ambassadors, and senior members of the British and Commonwealth Armed
Forces. These usually last no more than 20 minutes to ensure relevant and
important topics are discussed, but not to eat into too much of Her Majestys daily
schedule.

After all that hard work, its time for a lunch break, which The Queen often
chooses to take privately. A typical lunch, served at 1pm, would be fish and
vegetables, such as a grilled Dover sole on a bed of spinach or courgettes, reports a
former Royal chef. It is said Her Majesty avoids carbohydrates.

However, once a month, she and the Duke host an informal lunch with guests from
different backgrounds in the UK. These can include charity volunteers,
businessmen and women; on other occasions, the lunch date may be more intimate
with the newly-appointed or retiring Governor-General and their guests.

Once lunch is over, it is often time for The Queen to go out and about. With so
many invitations, it would be impossible for Her Majesty to attend them all, so she
hand picks events to ensure her (limited) time is used effectively. The Queen
manages to attend hundreds of Royal engagements each year though she is
slowing down a little, ranging from visits to schools, military units, newly opened
hospitals, and charity headquarters. She really does lead a varied life.

Afternoon tea is usually taken at 4pm, and the kitchens send up Earl Grey tea,
scones, and a few varieties of sandwich. These include smoked salmon, cucumber,
ham and mustard or egg mayonnaise. There are always jam pennies Her
Majestys favourites, which are jam sandwiches cut into rounds the size of an old
penny. Chocolate biscuit cake, made with McVities Rich Tea biscuits, will often
accompany the sweets and sandwiches; though it is said she only has a nibble of
one or two items. This gives a much needed break from a busy schedule, but it is
not long before she works again.

The Queen also finds time amongst a packed day to look after her canine friends.
Through the years, the Royal Family have chosen dogs as their favoured pets, and
as an animal lover since childhood, The Queen currently owns four! Two Corgis:
Willow and Holly, and two Dorgis a dachshund/corgi mix Candy and Vulcan.
Her Majesty likes to travel with the corgis as much as possible, looking after them
herself, despite sometimes a busy schedule.

At 7:30pm, The Queen will take the time to read the report of the days
parliamentary proceedings, written by one of the government whips. Perhaps it is
now that she indulges in her favourite drink gin and dubonnet, measured in the
ratio 1:2.

Dinner is almost always sourced from the Royal stocks, including game or fish
from Sandringham, or venison or salmon from Balmoral. Again, she usually eats
on her own unless there is a dinner or banquet she is attending, and prefers a
carb-free dinner: no potatoes, rice or pasta. For dessert, Her Majesty is fond of
Windsor-grown white peaches.

Its now around 9pm, and its party time for The Queen, as her evenings are
regularly used to host official receptions, alongside the members of the Royal
Family, at Buckingham Palace. The receptions are often in aid of the work of
particular groups in the community, or will be held ahead of overseas visits.

We know Her Majesty watches TV, and Downton Abbey was one of her
favourites.

The Queen manages the balance between her public and private duties, by ensuring
she is kept well-briefed throughout. Hers is often the last light out at the Palace, as
she continues to work.

5
6