to be somewhat sorry for the Queen as she's unable to go on holidays abroad, it seems?

[allaflutter]

Maybe I'm just ignorant, and she may go (in secret?) or used to go until recently with her husband, but if not, surely spending ALL summers in Scotland whatever the weather is samey and not very healthy (no sea and sun benefits)? Older people especially need their sun, not least for the vit D to avoid osteoporosis (women especially).
And I don't mean official visits, just private time, few weeks of doing nothing.

Have a biscuit. A deep fried shortbread, ya bam.

Poor old her, eh? Kept in unimaginable and immoral luxury all her life by her inferiors. Bet she doesn't bother feeling sorry for you as you head off this morning to keep her in the style to which she has always been accustomed.

Have you ever been to Scotland? It is lovely.

I'm sure an 86 yo likes her routines and down time too: surrounded by familiar activities, friends, family and pets, and more importantly away from prying eyes.

Oh I think she gets by Am sure she might have a doctor or two handy should she start to feel a bit hard done by.

We're getting a lot more light up here than there is down south. We holidayed in England a couple of weeks ago and I couldn't believe how long the nights were compared to here.

I wonder about this as the new baby looms - will Kate be able to take it for a stroll to the shop or to play on the swings or go for a random picnic in the park one day? Without an entourage / shutting the place down.

You are all mad. Genuinely.

She stays at Holyrood palace for Scotland week each year as well, god love her having to stay in beautiful palaces that we all pay for.

I wonder if I can sue some Scottish person for my knackered knees? We went there twice a year for about 10 years when I was little.

I absolutely love Scotland, gorgeous country.

Can just picture them at a cabaret on Saga cruise! Bopping along to Dancing Queen

Rumour has it Katie is going to join the mums and baby set of Marina Fogle - do you think they'll do competitive parenting ?!

Lucky old Kate has Kensington Gardens right outside her front door.
She'll be able to take her new DC to see her late MiLs fountain thing.

BTW, who is Marina Fogle?

It's well known the Queen loves her time at Balmoral. YABVU. She is 86 and probably has had her fill of long flights and hot countries.

FWIW I was in Scotland last weekend and I could not believe the daylight hours, it never got properly dark and even at 11pm it was still light.

I'll feel sorry for the pore old Queen's lack of holidays when she feels sorry for my lack of Palaces,yachts, money worries, oh, and foreign holidays.

I think she's sometimes allowed to drive around her lovely estates at Sandringham and Balmoral all by herself, that might make up a little for missing out on the garden centres, and National trust properties which used to belong to her rellies until they fell on hard times.

When they had the yacht HM and Philip used to take it around the Scottish islands for summer holidays. At least twice in the last few years ago she's hired a small ship to do the same for a family holiday - and yes they did get off the ship and go to National Trust properties etc.
If she wanted to go abroad she could. Charles does. Both Queen Victoria and Edward VII used to holiday abroad. Queen Victoria used the pseudonym the Countess of Kent when she was travelling in Italy and Switzerland.

I feel somewhat sorry for a lot of people, the queen isn't one of them.
I'm not anti royalty, but don't think she needs sympathy.

Marina Fogle is wife of Ben Fogle (friend of Prince William and tv presenter)- has 2 tots and a sister with baby et al, ready made playmates for Kate's lo.

Take it that the OP has never been to scotland? We do have a coastline and we can have nice weather.

LIZS, what's an lo ?

And yup,Scotland have the loveliest coastlines and Islands.