The Queen heads to the Balmoral estate in the Scottish Highlands every summer for 12 weeks. Royal expert Duncan Larcombe says the trip provides the monarch a break for her sanity as she relaxes and enjoys special time with her family. "Balmoral plays a key part in the Queen's sanity," he explains. "It's where she can kick off the crown and be the mother, grandmother and great grandmother she is. "You see the Queen with her family in more formal settings but at Balmoral, it's about being outdoors and playing with the children.
She also spends a lot of time there lost in her own thoughts." Duncan says whilst the Balmoral estate is fully staffed, the family are much more laid back when it comes to eating and socialising.
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