The Queen Faces Dangerous Flight Situation Right Before Her Platinum Jubilee
With the major events of her Platinum Jubilee just days away, Queen Elizabeth is back in town. The monarch recently took a relaxing getaway to Balmoral Castle. According to the Daily Mail, sojourns to Scotland are a routine part of the queen's calendar during this season. The trip gave Elizabeth an opportunity to take a break before the big four-day weekend bash on June 2 -5.
Royal fans have been getting ready for this historic event, with some pitching tents on the Mall in London in order to secure a spot for Thursday's Trooping the Colour parade, per the Daily Mail. Others, decked out in commemorative merchandise, have taken advantage of photo ops with cardboard cut-outs of the monarch.
Besides anticipation of the events themselves, fans are eager for a glimpse of the royal herself. While it's likely the queen will make a royal balcony appearance, the monarch may sit out some events. For instance, while she'll likely attend Friday's Thanksgiving Service, she'll probably pass on the Saturday evening concert and possibly the Epsom Derby, per Town & Country.
After a 70-year reign, the queen can sometimes feel like she's larger than life. However, reminders abound that the 96-year-old ruler is subject to the vulnerabilities of everyday living, as evidenced by Elizabeth's recent travels home to London.
Bad weather delayed Queen Elizabeth's arrival
To get home to Windsor Castle, Queen Elizabeth boarded her Embraer 135 private jet at the Aberdeen airport. The monarch was making a brief 90 minute flight back to London, per The Sun. However, bad weather affected the flight of the 13-seat plane. The crew took off in heavy rain, and by the time they reached London, thunder, lightning, and hail caused delays.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson told The Telegraph, "The Queen's flight was delayed due to a lightning storm, all the correct procedures were followed and there were no safety concerns."
In the interest of caution, the pilot opted to circle around for an additional 15 minutes and wait for a safe opening before touching down at RAF Northholt (via The Sun). A royal insider told the outlet, "In circumstances like this you take no risks and it was right to abort landing during lightning strikes."
After the jet landed safely, the monarch boarded a Range Rover and waved to children as she made the last part of her trip home, per Daily Mail. One of her corgis relaxed in the back seat with a security guard. A well-known dog lover, the monarch currently has two corgis and one dorgi. This mix of dachshund and corgi is a unique breed that was created by the queen, per My London.
Other royal travel conundrums
While some royals, such as Prince William and Kate Middleton, have traveled via commercial flights on occasion, Queen Elizabeth relies on private planes, per Hello! While the queen doesn't need a passport and she can charter aircraft for royal business (via The Points Guy), she's not immune from travel difficulties.
Unlike her recent stormy flight, in the past many of the monarch's most challenging air-travel moments weren't related to time in the air. As part of the many royal rules, the queen is required to exit the aircraft in a specific way during formal appearances. When making official entrances in the past, the queen was expected to walk down the plane's stairs with a level head and pointed toes, per Express. Before the queen and her wardrobe team developed weighted hems, the monarch made headlines when windy weather caused her slip to show during a 1963 New Zealand trip.
Besides air travel via private jet, the queen has a variety of modes of transport available to her: a custom Bentley limo, a variety of Land Rover vehicles, helicopters, and the Royal Train. Prior to 1997, the queen also took to the seas via her beloved Royal Yacht Britannia. However, the decommissioned yacht is now open to tourists in Edinburgh, per Town & Country.