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The Queen's poignant 96th birthday plans include a nod to the late Prince Philip

Her Majesty will mark the day privately

queen birthday sandringham
Rachel Avery
Homes Editor
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The Queen will relocate from Windsor Castle to Sandringham ahead of her 96th birthday on Thursday, reports suggest.

RELATED: The Queen's corgis have been an absolute 'godsend' to her in lockdown

The monarch will mark the occasion in private, choosing to stay at Wood Farm on the grounds of her Norfolk estate. This will be her second birthday without her late husband Prince Philip by her side, but the location of choice to mark the special day is likely to be in his honour. The Duke of Edinburgh spent most of his retirement staying at the pristine country home and we're sure Her Majesty will feel close to him while staying there.

WATCH: The Queen's emotional tribute to her late husband 

The monarch will travel by helicopter from her home in Windsor, where she now spends the majority of her time, choosing to stay away from central London.

READ: The Queen to hire extra help at royal residence – and it's a top-secret job

SEE: The Queen's Buckingham Palace home gets '£90k facelift' – new photos

sandringham gardens© Photo: Getty Images

The monarch will fly to Sandringham for her birthday

While Buckingham Palace has served as Her Majesty's official residence for most of her reign, since the coronavirus pandemic began the monarch has stayed predominately in Windsor.

The Duke of Edinburgh was laid to rest on 17 April 2021, and one of the Queen's most trusted aides has shared poignant details of how the mother-of-four spent time alone in the hours after the funeral.

Last week, the Queen recieved a visit from her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle when they were on their way to the Invictus Games in the Netherlands.

queen ill health© Photo: Getty Images

The Queen will celebrate her birthday in private 

Harry and Meghan were sighted at the traditional Maundy Thursday service in Windsor, in which the Prince of Wales stood in for her Majesty. The service took place in St George's Chapel where the Duke and Duchess married, so the occasion will have surely brought back happy memories for the couple.

Harry has since spoken out about his meeting with the Queen, telling the BBC it was "great to see her" after all this time. a

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