Prince Philip has been helicoptered from Wood Farm in Sandringham to Windsor to be with the Queen for Easter.
Reports say he’s joined her a week early to match her revised schedule, as she prepares to wait out the coronavirus crisis away from London.
The Queen was today seen leaving Buckingham Palace with her faithful Dorgi on her lap as she left for Windsor Castle a week early than usual to spend time in self-isolation over Easter.
The 93-year-old head of state glanced out of the window next to the corgi-dachshund mix, who is called Candy, as she sat in the back of her official car for the 50-minute journey to Berkshire.
She attended her last engagement in London yesterday, a private audience with two senior officers from the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
It came as royal experts suggested Prince William could step in to cover her commitments as part of a coronavirus crisis plan.
The Queen was seen leaving Buckingham Palace with a dog on her lap as she headed to Windsor Castle for self-isolation
Reports say Prince Philip (pictured in December) has joined the Queen a week early to match her revised schedule, as she prepares to wait out the coronavirus crisis away from London
The 93-year-old head of state glanced out of the window next to the corgi-dachshund mix, who is called Candy, as she sat in the back of her official car for the 50-minute journey to Berkshire
Yesterday, the Queen greeted Captain Angus Essenhigh, the new Commanding Officer of the Royal Navy warship HMS Queen Elizabeth, and his predecessor Commodore Steven Moorhouse.
There were no handshakes, just bows from the captain and the commodore, as they met and chatted with the monarch in the private audience room of the Queen’s London home.
ITV’s royal editor Chris Ship took to Twitter this afternoon explaining Prince Philip had been helicoptered from Wood Farm in Sandringham to Windsor to be with the Queen for Easter.
The Queen looked well as she travelled in the back of an official car to Windsor earlier today
‘He had always planned to be with her and was moved to Windsor a week earlier to match the Queen’s revised schedule,’ he wrote. ‘She arrived there this afternoon.’
The Duke of Edinburgh, 98, was last pictured in January being driven onto the Royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where the Queen spends her winter break.
Prince Philip was recuperating from a four-day stay in hospital over the festive period, where he was treated for a pre-existing medical condition.
He had been admitted to the King Edward VII’s hospital in central London for a few days as a precautionary measure, and for observation, after a period of poor health which saw him battling a ‘flu-like’ illness for weeks and suffering a ‘bad fall’.
Earlier today royal experts told FEMAIL that Prince William could soon take a more senior role in the Royal Family during the coronavirus pandemic, should the Queen and Prince Charles have to go into isolation.
This week Health Secretary Matt Hancock said people over the age of 70 will be told to self-isolate, even if they do not have symptoms, in a bid to stem the spread of the disease and protect the most vulnerable in society.
Given the Prince of Wales, 71, and Her Majesty, 93, are within this age group, as third-in-line to the throne the Duke of Cambridge may be required to provide a ‘physical presence’ of the monarchy.
It is also possible that Princess Beatrice, who is ninth-in-line to the throne, may be appointed a Counsellor of State during these uncertain times, while Prince Harry – who is officially no longer a working royal from March 31 – may also step in to provide assistance, according to experts.
Nigel Cawthorne, author of Call Me Diana: Princess Diana on Herself, told FEMAIL: ‘It is entirely sensible for Prince William to act as placeholder for the Queen.
‘There has to be a physical presence to the monarchy, not just a virtual one. He’s third-in-line to the throne and in robust health like his brother, and COVID-19 is unlikely to be any serious threat for him or his wife or children. He will do a great job.’
Royal commentator Robert Jobson also told FEMAIL it is the ‘natural thing to happen’ for the Duke of Cambridge to act as placeholder for his grandmother.
And Grant Harrold, who was a royal butler between 2004 and 2011, explained: ‘It is possible that if the Queen and the Prince of Wales are in isolation, then Prince William as second-in-line would take a more active role during this period.’
Nigel added that, should the Duchess of Cambridge fall pregnant during the pandemic, the Palace would have to go ‘on bent knee to Prince Harry to ask him to act as placeholder’.
‘I am sure he would come back and be delighted to help out, too, and do anything to protect his father and grandmother,’ he said.
Though that could be difficult given Prince Harry is currently self-isolating in Canada with wife Meghan Markle and their son Archie, who turns one in May.
Nigel acknowledged that it is unlikely there are any social gatherings left on the court calendar where Prince William would need to step in, as the Queen has scaled back her events due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
However, he added, there are ‘classified informal meetings on matters of state, and the monarchy is an enormous machine with many employees staying in touch with people, cities and charities across Britain and the world’.