Queen vows to reign past Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and ‘all her life’ as she hopes Covid jab will let her return to work
THE Queen has vowed to reign past her Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and serve her country for "all her life."
Her Majesty has no intentions of resigning and is keen to resume her full-time duties once there is a coronavirus vaccine, senior aides have said.
Despite rumours that the Queen is planning to step aside and let Prince Charles take over after her 95th birthday in April, sources say the she will reign all her life.
One senior adviser told the that the Queen is sticking to a commitment she made on her 21st birthday - to serve the Commonwealth until the day she dies.
She said during a broadcast in 1947: “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”
Another aide told the newspaper: “There are no plans for a Regency.
"There are no discussions that I am aware of relating to a Regency.
"It’s entirely up to the Queen how she asks other members of the family to support her in her work.”
This comes as the Government and Buckingham Palace are planning an extensive programme of events in cities across the UK and the Commonwealth to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
An extra bank holiday in 2022 will mark Her Majesty's 70th year on the throne.
LONG TO REIGN OVER US
She will be the first British monarch in history to ever reach the milestone.
A Platinum Jubilee medal will be awarded to people in public service, including representatives from the Armed Forces, the emergency services and the prison services.
The milestone year of 2022 will also see England host the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the Festival of Brexit, which will showcase the best of Britain.
With the current coronavirus pandemic, the Queen has had to put many of her normal duties to one side.
But aids have also said that she is "keen to get back to normal" and return to her full-time schedule.
With the new hope of a successful vaccine in circulation, the Queen's courtiers are already mapping out her programme for the coming year.
The 94-year-old has undertaken a small number of face-to-face engagements since the outbreak of the virus in March.
In June, she attended a parade at Windsor Castle marking her official birthday, and in July she knighted Captain Tom Moore, the 100-year-old veteran who raised £33million for NHS charities.
Last month she went to Porton Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire, to meet scientists at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in her first public engagement in seven months.
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It was revealed last week that the Queen’s big family Christmas at Sandringham may be off for the first time in 33 years, servants have been told.
Her Majesty and Prince Philip left the Norfolk estate to form a Covid-secure “HMS Bubble” at Windsor Castle for the month-long lockdown.
