What Queen Elizabeth II’s Daily Schedule Is All About

Queen Elizabeth II might be 95 years old, but she is very vivacious. Working from 8 in the morning until 8 at night, she still manages to take some time out to go horseback riding and walk the dogs in the garden. Her breaks only happen 2 days out of the year — Christmas Day and Easter Sunday.

From doing her own makeup to watching her favorite TV shows before sleeping, sometimes the queen can look a lot more like us than we imagine. Bright Side will show you what the Queen’s daily routine looks like.

7:30 AM: Time to wake up!

Elizabeth doesn’t need alarms. Her maid knocks on her bedroom at Buckingham Palace every morning bringing her “pre-breakfast.” While she listens to the radio, Her Majesty enjoys a snack of cookies and Earl Grey tea with milk and no sugar before her main breakfast time.

8 AM: Gets dressed and does her own makeup

After bathing, the Queen gets dressed in her first outfit of the day. Sometimes, the Queen of the United Kingdom needs to change clothes up to 5 times a day. And she doesn’t simply change her dress but also her shoes, gloves, jewelry, hat, and other accessories.

All of her outfits are previously separated by her personal wardrobe advisor, Angela Kelly. Usually, 2 outfits are brought down to her because all of her clothes are kept on another floor of the palace. The Queen also does her own makeup every single day.

8:30 AM: Breakfast in the dining room

The Queen takes her breakfast in her private dining room. She likes a simple breakfast, most of the time Kellogg’s cereal that she eats from a plastic container, and tea. They’re served by her footmen while she reads her daily journals.

9 AM: Wait for the sound of bagpipes to get to work

After breakfast, a piper plays the bagpipes on the terrace below her private quarters. The kilted piper player comes every weekday at Buckingham Palace or any of the other official residences: Windsor Castle, Balmoral Castle, or Holyroodhouse Palace. This is the official way she starts the day.

From 9 AM to 11 AM: Reads her mail and important documents, which are delivered daily

If Elizabeth II has no morning events to attend, she goes to her desk where she reads her mail. She receives approximately 60,000 pieces of correspondence in a year. Some of them she answers personally. Next, she goes to the Red Boxe, or officially the “despatch box,” that is delivered daily by her secretaries.

These boxes contain important documents from her cabinet and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Some of the documents require her signature and others are just to inform her. By doing this, she can stay aware of the proceedings in the government and important meetings.

11 AM: Meetings with important guests at the Palace

When the Queen finishes looking at the documents, she still has time for a few meetings before lunch. Her guests range from world leaders to members of parliament. They normally have short talks for around 20 minutes. Meetings can also happen through video conferences.

12:30 PM: Lunch and some free time for exercising

Around 12:30 PM, she takes a break to walk her dogs in the garden. The Queen loves long walks and horseback rides on her breaks, not only for keeping her muscles strong but also for enjoying some alone time.

The choice of what to eat for lunch and dinner is made by the queen every 3 days. The menu is suggested by the royal chefs and the Queen can make notes if she wants to change any dishes. If she has visitors, Her Majesty will mark how many dishes should be served with a pen.

2 PM: Drive to important royal engagements

From 2 PM until 5 PM, is time for longer royal commitments. As meeting with the prime minister and reading a report of the day’s parliamentary proceedings. For these engagements outside of the palace, she usually goes in a private car for the royalty. Sometimes she prefers to drive herself.

As a queen, she doesn’t vote or take sides during elections. But it is a queen’s duty to open each session of Parliament and approve orders and proclamations through the Privy Council. After these commitments, she has a second break for the traditional 5 PM tea time.

5 PM: Tea time!

This English tradition is followed by Queen Elizabeth II every day. At the Queen’s palace suite, sandwiches made of cucumber, smoked salmon, egg, mayonnaise, ham, and mustard are served with her favorite Earl Grey tea. The queen also loves cakes, according to the royal chef, Darren McGrady.

7 PM: Read the daily reports and have dinner

Between tea time at 5 PM and dinner, around 7:30 PM, the Queen still has time to check the daily reports of the parliamentary proceedings. Sometimes she even has meetings or other events at night. Every Wednesday, Elizabeth II meets with the prime minister to discuss government issues.

The dinner plates are usually the same every week. The Queen isn’t a foodie and she is really picky in terms of trying new flavors. A glass of Champagne would accompany her meal. Meat should be always well done and the plates are full of butter and cream. No counting calories!

8:30 PM: Watching TV and going to bed

The working day is over and now it’s time to relax. Queen Elizabeth II can finally sit in front of the TV to watch popular series like Downton Abbey. When she goes to bed, it’s time for the other family members and employers to do the same.

The Queen always sleeps alone in her bedroom. Not even Prince Philip shared the same bed. Elizabeth has a ritual of writing in her diary before going to sleep that she’s kept since day one of her reign. The Queen sleeps 8 and a half hours, so she can have the energy to start her day fresh.

Would you like to be Queen for a day? Tell us in the comments which part you would enjoy the most.