They celebrated privately in the beloved spot where they spent their honeymoon, travelling to Birkhall on the Balmoral estate, Aberdeenshire, to mark 19 years of wedded bliss.
Referred to by friends as their “marital home”, the King and Queen’s Scottish retreat is where they can truly relax together, spending time walking Her Majesty’s rescue dogs Beth and Bluebell, enjoying the garden and catching up on their reading and painting.
The couple flew to Aberdeen and made the hour-long drive to the property, on the banks of the River Muick, on 10 April, a day after their anniversary. And nearly two decades on from their big day at Windsor, they appear happier than ever, despite the challenges of a new reign, family tensions and His Majesty’s cancer diagnosis.
As he continues to undergo treatment, the Queen has devoted herself to increased public duties as well as caring for her husband, who is “optimistic and wholly positive” about his recovery, according to those close to him.
Having known each other for more than half a century, the couple make a formidable team, whether sitting reading through their notes on the plane en route to a state visit, giggling over the produce at an agricultural fair or welcoming world leaders to Buckingham Palace.
As Her Majesty’s sister Annabel Elliott said last year, “They’re yin and yang, really. They really are polar opposites. But I think it works brilliantly.
“She is his rock and I can’t actually emph
