She’s the longest-reigning monarch ever, having served for a staggering 65 years on the throne after becoming Queen of England at just 25. But, although she’s always spotted out and about on official engagements, meetings, and trips across the country, her day-to-day role in the running of the country has always been slightly more elusive. So firstly, where does the Queen live? To conduct her daily duties, the Queen is mainly stationed at Buckingham Palace, although she does try to divide her time between there and Windsor Castle. She’ll also usually spend Christmas at her Sandringham Estate, and makes sure to head to her Edinburgh abode for Holyrood week each year.
So what does the Queen do everyday?
Morning…
Well – it turns out that she usually always has a pretty hectic day ahead of her. She’ll generally start her day at 7.30am with breakfast with Prince Philip, whilst browsing the morning papers (the Racing Post is one of her favourites). According to a former royal chef, her favourite breakfast is usually cereal, specifically Special K – although she does like eggs and smoked salmon on a rare occassion.
Then, the Queen will begin her day at her desk. The first part of her day is spent going through her famous red boxes, which contain important documents that the Queen is required to read, review and sign.
The Queen also receives around 300 letters a day from members of the public, although unfortunately she doesn’t get round to responding to them all personally. She’ll usually respond to a few she has time to, and then will instruct members of her staff on how she’d like the rest replied to.
She might also host private audiences in the morning as well, with people like judges and bishops. These meetings tend to last between 10 and 20 minutes.
Afternoon…
Most days, Queen Elizabeth will eat her lunch privately. Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of her favourite meals is a traditional British roast dinner, although she dislikes meat cooked rare and prefers it well done. She’s also keen on cucumber sandwiches – but of course, never with the crusts on them.
HRH usually spends the afternoons out on public engagements, always ensuring she is well briefed on who it is she’ll be meeting. Her afternoon then usually ends with a meeting of the Privy Council, with several government ministers present.
Evening…
And her duties certainly don’t stop there. On Wednesdays, the Queen sets aside an hour at 6.30pm to meet with the Prime Minister to discuss political matters. Then, every single evening, a document laying out all the goings-on at Parliament arrives at 7.30pm, which she makes sure to read the very same day.
Sometimes the Queen will also hold private receptions at Buckingham Palace, or attend an event for a charity she is patron of – she’s patron of 600 in total at the moment.
So what time does the Queen retire to bed every day? Usually, she’s tucked in and ready to snooze by around 10pm. It’s recently been revealed that she loves watching Pointless, so will also often make time to squeeze that in of an evening. Before falling asleep, the Queen will also fill out a few pages of her diary, which is something she’s done every night since the beginning of her reign.
Can the Queen vote?
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It’s long been thought that the Queen, as a member of the royal family, isn’t allowed to vote. But this is a common misconception – by law, the Queen actually is allowed to cast a vote in general elections. So does the Queen vote? No, the Queen actually prefers to maintain neutral on political matters, much like the rest of the Royal family.
So, what power does the Queen have?
The Queen has no say in deciding laws and passing them. However, her democratic power can act as final and authoritative voice when matters of political issues come to hand. And, it times of war and political upheavel, she can have the final say. It’s true that her powers are mostly symbolic – her executive powers are limited.
