As sovereign and Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II could never really clock out and put up her Out Of Office. Those iconic red boxes would arrive, day in and day out, and she always had various royal duties or engagements in her diary. To celebrate her 100th birthday, the Palace of Holyrood House is giving visitors “the chance to step inside her Private Apartments for the very first time,” to get a feel for Queen Elizabeth’s everyday life—and her relentless royal duties—during her special annual visit to Edinburgh, Scotland.
An expert at Holyrood House revealed on Instagram that Queen Elizabeth II’s workday would start surprisingly late, after a surely luxurious breakfast in the Royal Breakfast Room, “where the Queen and Prince Philip would dine privately while in residence”, and perhaps a walk with her beloved dogs. “During her stay here at the palace, The Queen would often be found working here at the desk, where, at 11 a.m., she would begin her day completing her duties as Head of State,” an expert guide shared on Instagram.
The iconic red boxes—those lead-lined, leather wrapped red briefcases that often appear in movies, belonging to the sovereign, the Prime Minister, or key British government figures—are on display in the late Queen’s private sitting room. The red dispatch boxes “would arrive for the Queen almost every day, given to her by her private secretary,” and Queen Elizabeth reportedly flipped the pile from bottom to top in case her ministers were trying to hide bad news from her.
“When she wasn’t travelling further afield, she would often be found here,” the expert shared, referring to the feminine, opulent sitting room with silk-covered furnishings. “The Queen would be in residence annually during Royal Week,” which was her annual pseudo-vacation in Edinburgh, where she would carry out royal engagements, travel throughout Scotland, and host garden parties.
