The Queen Visits Prince Philip’s Favorite Place Days Before Her Platinum Jubilee

With her Platinum Jubilee on February 6, Queen Elizabeth has travelled to her Sandringham Estate but something there is missing: Prince Philip. The Queen travelled from Windsor Castle to Sandringham by helicopter, where she was spotted arriving at her country estate last week.

She was spotted wearing red lipstick and a colorful patterned headscarf for the occasion, after not being able to visit Sandringham over the Christmas period. But rather than heading to the estate’s main house, where she usually takes up residence, the 95-year-old monarch reportedly settled in at Wood Farm to ring in her historic jubilee.

The secluded five-bedroom farmhouse is nestled on the grounds of the estate, overlooking the sea, and is where Philip lived after retiring from royal duties in 2017. There he would spend his days strolling the grounds — often with his wife at his side — or out on leisurely carriage rides. Though he was forced to relocate to Windsor Castle due to COVID-19 before his sad death in April 2021, Wood Farm was very much Philip’s home in the years before he died.

Now, almost one year since his passing, the Queen has retreated there to spend the final days leading up to her Platinum Jubilee. On February 6 she will officially mark 70 years on the throne, a landmark no other British monarch has ever achieved. The incredible milestone will be celebrated with nation-wide festivities in the UK in June, but it seems that the Queen has other plans for the historic day next month.It seems only fitting that she will spend the day with her husband’s memory at Wood Farm, after he spent almost seven decades by her side as she ruled.

Though Philip didn’t live to see his wife reach her Platinum Jubilee, he was front and center when she celebrated her Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilees. As such, his absence will be sorely felt both on February 6 and later this year when the royal family officially celebrate the Queen’s landmark milestone.

Philip’s death in April was a painful blow for the monarchy and the space he left in the royal family has been clear, especially around the holidays. Traditionally, the Queen and other senior royals travel to Sandringham for the Christmas period, spending days or even weeks at the estate together over the festive season.

The pandemic put those plans on hold again this year, forcing the Queen to forego her usual celebrations and spend the holidays at Windsor Castle instead. It’s where she spent her final Christmas — and her final days — with her husband, as they isolated there together through almost all of the pandemic. And while this isn’t the first time the Queen has returned to Sandringham since Philip’s passing, it’s the first time we’ve heard of her staying at the residence he called home in his final years.

This article originally appeared on our sister site, Now to Love.