The Queen is ‘very keen for things to return to normal’, sources tell Vanity Fair 

The Queen is ‘very keen for things to return to normal’ and intends to attend Cenotaph in London in November, sources have claimed.

Her Majesty, 94, is to make Windsor Castle her main home and won’t resume residence at Buckingham Palace this year, sources revealed last week.

The Queen would usually go back to the premises in London in October following her summer break in Balmoral, but instead, she will reportedly return to Windsor Castle where she self-isolated with the Duke of Edinburgh from March 19 prior to their Scottish holiday. 

Sources told Vanity Fair‘s Katie Nicholl: ‘The Queen wants to get back to work, she is very keen for things to return to normal as are her staff at the palace.’ 

Royal sources said the monarch intends to resume certain official engagements in October, and intends to be at the Cenotaph service in November, which she has never missed during her reign. 

In more recent years, the Queen has appeared on a balcony opposite the Cenotaph, while Prince Charles laid the wreath.

It is understood the arrangement could allow the royal to attend the event while maintaining social distance from others. 

Sources working on her diary explained that the Queen wants the palace to be operational ‘as soon as is appropriate’ with a ‘fluid’ plan in place according to changing government guidance. 

One source said that the royal had a ‘very high’ desire for her and other members of The Firm to carry out in person engagements.

But they added that it was a case of ensuring appearances ‘work around official guidelines.’      

Another source added that the royal maintains her belief that she needs to be seen to be believed, saying: ‘There’s very much a sense on the Queen’s part of wanting to get back to work and normality.’  

The royal’s plan to ‘commute’ to London for engagements if it is safe to do so was reported in the Sunday Times last week.

It is believed the Queen’s absence from Buckingham Palace will be her longest during her 68-year reign.  

A royal source said: ‘There is a desire to get Buckingham Palace up and running again as a working palace, but only if all the relevant advice suggests that it is appropriate to do so.’  

But Her Majesty apparently won’t be returning to Buckingham Palace again until the threat from COVID-19 is extinguished.

However, it is thought that the Queen will be spending her usual Christmas break at Sandringham in Norfolk. 

She has reportedly been told that the close-knit ‘bubble’ of household staff who have been working with her since March is still the safest way to reduce the chance of infection. 

It comes after reports that Her Majesty may not be allowed to return to her public duties due to the risk of catching Covid-19 ‘for years’ to come. 

Royal biographer Andrew Morton, 66, told The Sun in May that he feared the Queen may never be able to return to her regular duties and will most likely be seen on TV or video links rather than in public. 

He told the paper: ‘It’s terribly sad but I can’t see how the Queen can resume her usual job. The Covid-19 virus isn’t going away soon and will be with us for months, if not years.

‘It would be far too risky for the Queen to start meeting people on a regular basis.’

The writer, who penned Diana: Her True Story in 1992, added that while the royal enjoyed meeting the public, such gatherings would pose a risk to both herself and Prince Philip.

The Queen has said in the past that she feels she has ‘to be seen to be believed’, so the measures are expected to be felt deeply by the monarch. 

Meanwhile, Buckingham Palace remains closed to visitors amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

The opulent State Rooms in the London residence are usually only open to the public for 10 weeks each summer and selected dates during winter and spring.

But last month, the Royal Collection Trust made the decision to keep Buckingham Palace closed ‘because of the operational challenges of social distancing’ in their palaces and properties.