Yahoo Lifestyle 
Policy, prime ministers and cabinet papers: Inside the Queen's 'working holiday' at Balmoral
The Queen might be on her annual summer holiday at her Scottish estate Balmoral, but it’s still business as usual for the 93-year-old monarch.
“For her [The Queen], although it’s her great three-month-long holiday, work goes on as usual,” The Sunday Times’ royal correspondent Roya Nikkhah told Yahoo UK’s “The Royal Box”.
“It’s all about family for her, but the work does go on,” added royal commentator Omid Scobie.
What does the Queen do for work?
Queen Elizabeth II is currently the longest serving monarch in British history, and is dedicated to her role which sees her involved in public and voluntary work.
Every day, a special red boxes is delivered to the Queen from the government which contains policy and cabinet papers and other important documents, which may need to be approved and signed.
“She still does her red boxes every single day at Balmoral, she meets prime ministers, she meets American presidents or incoming heads of state,” Roya said.
Newly elected UK prime minister Boris Johnson, 55, and his girlfriend Carrie Symonds, 31, have been invited to Balmoral and are expected to visit in early September.
The Queen ‘off-duty’
Her Majesty’s Buckingham Palace staff also accompany her to the 50,000 acre estate to assist her with her work.
“Her private secretaries are always up there, so the three private secretaries will rotate. There will always be a court up at Balmoral with private secretaries, press secretaries, equerries, so everything moves up,” Roya said.
But it’s not all work and no play for the monarch, who is joined by her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, 98, and other members of the royal family including their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“It’s probably the most off-duty that she [The Queen] gets,” said Omid.
“I know when the grandchildren are up there, she always makes time to read less letters before lunches and so she has more time to spend with the young ones playing, teaching them horse-riding”.
“It’s all about family for her, but the work does go on.”
The royal church
Along with her work, the Queen also makes sure to attend church while she’s away at Balmoral, and was recently spotted arriving at the nearby Crathie Kirk on two consecutive Sundays.
On August 11, the monarch was accompanied to the service by her son, the Earl of Wessex, and daughter-in-law Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
Crathie Kirk is a small parish church located in a Scottish village of the same name, and is the go-to place of worship of the British royal family when they’re in town.
Where is Balmoral castle?
Balmoral Castle is located in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, near the village of Crathie.
Once a large estate house that was renovated into a castle, Balmoral has belonged to the royal family since 1852 when it was purchased by Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert.
The extensive property is a working estate, where the royals participate in hunting and shooting and the Queen can indulge her life-long passion for horseback riding.
Additional reporting by Danielle Stacey.
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