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The daily life of Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth lives in splendid palaces and has a lot of servants at her service. But she also has a solitary and sometimes ordinary life.
1- In the morning:
She is woken at 7.30 am by a chambermaid.
For breakfast, she drinks Darjeeling tea with milk. She likes eating Cornflakes or Special K, with a spoonful or two of apricots, prunes or some macadamia nuts. Sometimes, she will have a boiled egg, or just toast and marmalade.
While eating, she likes listening to Today programme on BBC Radio Four. As she really loves horses, she also enjoys reading the Racing Post newspaper at breakfast with her husband Prince Philip.
At 9.30 am, she meets her private secretary, Robin Janvrin. Together they prepare the day’s programme : receiving a new ambassador, making visits to hospitals, inaugurations…
2- At Lunchtime:
Occasionally, she invites artists or businessmen to lunch. Sometimes, other royals are invited to join her at the palace.
However, she usually has lunch alone. A typical lunch, served at 1pm, would be fish, such as a grilled Dover sole, on a bed of wilted spinach or with courgettes.
If she wants her family to eat with her, she sends her page with a message to invite them. Her daughter Princess Anne curtseys and kisses her, while her sons Princes Charles, Andrew and Edward, bow, then kiss her hand, then kiss her on the cheek.
3- In the afternoon:
Every afternoon at 2.30 pm, the queen goes for a walk in the palace grounds. This is the moment when she likes staying alone to think. So nobody is allowed to stay in the gardens, apart from the gardeners. It is also forbidden to talk to her except if she speaks first.
Then, she drinks some tea and eats cakes, scones or sandwiches. Her favourite cakes are honey and cream sponge, ginger, fruit and a chocolate biscuit cake.
The rest of the afternoon is devoted to the queen’s social duties. She is patron of more than 620 organisations and charities.
4- In the evening:
Every Tuesday at 6.30 pm, she gives an audience to the British prime minister to discuss affairs of state.
At 7.30 pm, Philip, who has his own agenda, returns to Buckingham Palace. The royal couple enjoy a drink together in their apartments, usually having a gin and Dubonnet.
Then for dinner she often eats game or fish such as pheasant from Sandringham or venison or salmon from Balmoral. For pudding, fresh fruit, particularly the white peaches grown in greenhouses at Windsor Castle.
5- At night:
Very often Prince Philip, who is still very busy, goes out again and the Queen stays alone in her apartments. There, she fills in a crossword, often watches television with supper on a tray, and retires to bed at around 11 pm.
When she is in her bedroom, she usually reads confidential government papers carefully, always sent to her in a red box wherever she is, before shutting down the light at around midnight.
(adapted from http://mg.co.za/article/2006-04-16-it-starts-with-tea-a-day-in-the-life-of-queen-elizabeth-ii, and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9301975/Royal-chef-reveals-the-Queens-favourite-meals.html)
Want to listen to the Queen talking about her life ?
Then watch this video:
