Queen heartbreak: The sad memories Meghan Markle's birthday will evoke for the Queen
QUEEN ELIZABETH II and the much of the Royal Family's leadership in the UK will spend today apart from Meghan Markle as she celebrates her birthday with Prince Harry. For the Queen, the day takes an alternative significance.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will spend the Duchess of Sussex's 39th birthday in Los Angeles this year. August 4 marks the second of the family's three birthdays, coming two months after baby Archie Mountbatten-Windsor's and one before Prince Harry's. The date takes an added significance over the pond, however.
On August 4, Queen Elizabeth will likely take the chance to remember her late mother of the same name.
She died in March 2002 at the age of 101, as the longest-lived member of the British Royal Family at the time.
Her death spurred public and private mourning and followed the death of Princess Margaret, the Queen's sister.
The Queen Mother was born 120 years ago today.
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The monarch will likely have visited her mother and family members today.
She now resides in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, where the Queen has spent the last few months in isolation with her husband.
The Queen Mother lies alongside Princess Margaret and King George VI.
She may not have spent long with them, however, as she left for her summer residence of Balmoral today.
The Scottish bolthole is a private residence for the family which lies outside the crown estate.
The royal couple started their journey with a car trip to RAF Northolt in West London, where they boarded a private jet.
They touched down at Aberdeen airport earlier this evening, and a driver took them to Balmoral one hour away.
According to the Daily Mail, a troupe of assistants joined the monarch and her husband on their trip.
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They revealed some travelled to ready the property ahead of their arrival.
Staff arrived some two weeks ahead of schedule to quarantine before the royals followed, to minimise coronavirus exposure risks for the elderly couple.
Amongst the team of hand-picked aides are the master of the household, the Queen's private secretary and her two pages.
The Queen's equerry, head groom, personal assistant, assistant's PA, senior dresser and three assistant dressers followed.
The Balmoral estate has remained a part of the Queen's private ownership for generations and is allegedly her favourite property.
Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert bought Balmoral as a single castle in 1852.
The couple expanded the site with a further castle created by Aberdeen architect William Smith, with main works concluded by 1859.
During her reign, Queen Elizabeth has visited the site nearly every year, although she made the trip later this year due to COVID-19.