Queen in high spirits as she returns to work to meet Swiss president

Apr 28, 2022

The Queen appeared in high spirits as she held an in-person audience with the president of Switzerland at Windsor Castle – marking her first official engagement since a week-long break on the Sandringham estate.

The 96-year-old monarch, who is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee this year, smiled broadly as she shook hands with Ignazio Cassis and his wife Paolo before posing for photographs in her Oak sitting room.

It comes after her second son, Prince Andrew, was stripped of his Freedom of York by councillors in the city on Wednesday amid further calls for him to have his dukedom removed.

But the Queen looked cheerier than ever during Thursday’s engagement upon returning to her Berkshire castle a day ago following a stay at the Duke of Edinburgh’s Wood Farm cottage where she celebrated her birthday.

She appeared well and stood without her walking stick, wearing a blue and grey paisley print silk dress for the audience.

The Queen adorned her outfit with a fruit-themed sapphire and diamond grapes brooch inherited from the Queen Mother, which features a sapphire bow and 16 small diamonds shaped like a bunch of grapes.

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Buckingham Palace said she is planning to attend the upcoming State Opening of Parliament on 10 May, but confirmation is expected closer to the time or on the day.

The sovereign’s high-profile Platinum Jubilee celebrations are just over a month away as she marks 70 years on the throne.

After experiencing mobility issues in recent months, the Queen opened Parliament on all but two occasions during her reign.

The exceptions were in 1959 and 1963, when she was pregnant with Andrew and then her youngest child Edward when her speech was read by the Lord Chancellor.

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Her Majesty celebrated the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne on 6 February 2022, becoming the first British monarch to reach the milestone.

To celebrate the anniversary, a variety of events and initiatives are taking place throughout the year, culminating in a four-day UK bank holiday weekend from 2-5 June.

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