The Queen’s traditional Balmoral ceremony is to be toned down this year amid fears over her comfort.
The 96-year-old monarch arrived in Scotland last month for the start of her traditional summer break.
Her Majesty typically greets people at the gates of Balmoral Castle every year to mark the beginning of her holidays in Scotland.
During the ceremony, she usually inspects guards in front of the onlooking crowd.
The Queen
Jane Barlow
Balmoral Castle
WikiCommons
But this year, the event will be held in private, Buckingham Palace have confirmed.
A spokesperson for the palace: “This year the event will take place inside the castle gates."
While the palace also told The Sun that the change was “in line with adapting Her Majesty’s schedule for her comfort”.
A report in The Mirror, citing a royal source, added: “The traditional welcome to Balmoral is normally cemented in the Queen’s calendar and something Her Majesty really enjoys, being able to greet locals who travel to see her.
“It’s a bitter disappointment the ceremony will not take place in its traditional form.”
The decision comes just months after Her Majesty opted to sit out several events which marked her Platinum Jubilee.
Among the events she missed included the Service of Thanksgiving and the Epsom Derby.
