Queen and Prince Philip arrive by private jet at Aberdeen airport with their faithful Dorgis to start their summer holiday at Balmoral after months isolating at Windsor Castle
- The Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, have arrived in Scotland for the start of their summer holiday
- The royal couple boarded a private plane to Aberdeenshire and were taken by car to the Balmoral estate
- They will remain at the estate until early October and will be joined by family members throughout the stay
- The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have been in isolation at Windsor Castle since the start of lockdown
Balmoral: The Royal Family's summer retreat
A group of aides have already travelled up to the Scottish home of the Royal Family to prepare the castle for the couple's arrival. The Queen and Philip will stay in the main castle, pictured
Balmoral Castle has been the Scottish home of the Royal Family since it was purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852, having been first leased in 1848.
In the autumn of 1842, two and a half years after her marriage to Prince Albert, Queen Victoria paid her first visit to Scotland. They were so struck with the Highlands that they resolved to return. A further visit to Perthshire and then Ardverikie encouraged them to seize the opportunity to purchase Balmoral.
After Queen Victoria bought the Castle in 1852, plans were made to build a new castle about 100 yards north-west of the old building designed by the city of Aberdeen architect William Smith.
On 28 September 1853 the foundation stone of the new Castle was laid by Queen Victoria. Prince Albert took a great interest in the design and construction which was completed by 1856, also in the Scottish Baronial style.
The Castle is constructed from local granite, which was precision cut using the modern machinery of the day, producing a much smoother finish to the building than usual.
Prince Albert set about landscaping the area, starting a programme of improvements lasting several years, which was done in accordance with a model he had constructed in sand. The main works were completed by 1859 and included new houses, stables, workshops and schools.
Royals continue to make improvements to the castle and the ruggedly beautiful surroundings have captivated generations of royals since.
The Queen has visited Balmoral almost every year of her reign and it holds a special place in her heart.
Pampered pooches: The Queen's lifelong love of dogs
The Queen pictured with two of her corgis at Buckingham Palace in 1936
Known for her love of Corgis, the Queen's two remaining dogs - Vulcan and Candy - are in fact Dorgis, a Dachshund cross breed.
She has not owned a Corgi since her last one, Willow, died in April 2018.
Her love affair with the dogs began 85 years ago when the Queen's father — then Duke of York — brought home a Pembroke corgi called Dookie from kennels in Surrey.
Three years later Jane arrived to breed with Dookie, but no puppies were forthcoming.
Jane did produce two puppies with another mate, however, and Crackers and Carol joined King George and Queen Elizabeth's household during World War II.
In 1944, Susan arrived as Princess Elizabeth's 18th birthday present. Mistress and pet were inseparable. She even accompanied the Princess on her honeymoon with Prince Philip in 1947, hidden from view under a blanket in the royal carriage.
A year later, Susan followed her royal mistress into motherhood, producing a pair of puppies: Sugar, who belonged to Prince Charles, and Honey who, in later years, lived with the Queen Mother. It marked the beginning of a new royal dynasty.
Over the years, the Queen became one of the most experienced breeders of Pembrokeshire corgis in the country. She always chose the sire herself, aiming for good-looking puppies that maintain the red colouring of the original Pembrokes.
At one stage there were said to be 13 corgis — memorably described by Princess Diana as a 'moving carpet' — lolling in the Queen's private sitting room, and nipping the heels of footmen, prime ministers, ladies-in-waiting and diplomats.
Queen Elizabeth II with some of her corgis walking the Cross Country course during the second day of the Windsor Horse Trials
Every few years, a fresh litter arrived and older dogs passed away. No puppies were ever sold; instead the Queen ensured that they went to good homes. Susan's descendants have gone to Australia and America.
Then came the dorgis, a cross-breed resulting from an unplanned liaison between one of the Queen's corgis and Princess Margaret's dachshund Pipkin.
In 2009, it emerged that the Queen had stopped breeding the dogs.
She worried about puppies and lively young dogs around her feet, and the fear that she might trip over, hurting herself or them. But what was not clear then was that she no longer wanted any new four-legged companions to replace those that died.
Monty Roberts, the Californian cowboy who inspired the Hollywood film The Horse Whisperer, who was an informal adviser to her on horses and dogs for more than 25 years offered to find her a replacement puppy in 2012, when Monty - named after him - died.
'But she didn't want to have any more young dogs. She didn't want to leave any young dog behind. I understood we would discuss it further at a later date,' he said.
'Well, we never did, and I have no right to try to force her into continuing to bring on young puppies if she doesn't want to.'
By Richard Kay for the Daily Mail
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