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Queen Elizabeth made her first public appearance since her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in early June.
The British reigning monarch traveled by Royal Train overnight to Edinburgh where she will be based at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, her official residence in the Scottish capital.
On Monday, the 96-year-old was all smiles as she appeared for the Ceremony of the Keys. Elizabeth, who has been suffering from ongoing mobility issues, has limited her public appearances.
For this occasion; however, she used a walking cane during the ceremony where she was handed the keys to the city and welcomed to “the ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland.” Tradition dictates that she returns them, entrusting their safekeeping to the city’s elected officials.
Queen Elizabeth II attends The Ceremony of the Keys on the forecourt of the Palace of Holyroodhouse on June 27, 2022, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Members of the Royal Family are spending a Royal Week in Scotland, carrying out a number of engagements between Monday, June 27 and Friday, July 01, 2022.
(Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
She was accompanied by her youngest son Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex. A member of her entourage held an umbrella over her head.
The visit came three weeks after the Platinum Jubilee, which marked the monarch’s 70 years on the throne. She only made a few appearances during the four-day holiday weekend, with officials saying she experienced some “discomfort” during those events.
The queen is expected to attend a military ceremony in the palace gardens on Tuesday. The military parade will pay tribute to her role as head of the UK armed forces.
Prince Charles, her eldest son and heir to the throne, has been taking on a greater public role in recent months. He was also taking part in the events in Scotland along with other members of the royal family.
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Lord Provost Robert Aldridge presents Queen Elizabeth II with the keys to the city of Edinburgh during The Ceremony of the Keys on the forecourt of the Palace of Holyroodhouse on June 27, 2022, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
(Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Due to Elizabeth’s ongoing mobility issues, Buckingham Palace has been confirming her appearances in the hours beforehand.
Elizabeth is the UK’s longest-serving monarch, the only sovereign most people have ever known.
The queen’s public appearances during the Jubilee were brief but symbolic, underscoring three pillars of her reign: a personal bond with the public, strong links to the armed forces and support for the Commonwealth, a group of 54 nations with former colonial ties to Britain.
Robert Lacey, a royal historian and adviser to the Netflix series “The Crown,” believes the royal family’s connection to the British public will endure.
QUEEN ELIZABETH SPORTS POST-PLATINUM JUBILEE HAIRCUT, GOES WITHOUT CANE AT WINDSOR CASTLE
Queen Elizabeth was accompanied by her youngest son Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
(Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
“There is a magic about royalty. If you don’t care to accept it, that’s up to you,” he said.
“But for many Brits, the magic moment (is) when the queen or Prince Charles … turn up in your neighborhood,” he said. “You are touched with a magic — which is no longer divine, but which represents the community — which says, ’You matter, and you’re part of a bigger picture, a society, a community.’”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
