The Queen Has Taken the "Only Slight Rest" of Her Life During Quarantine, According to a Royal Source

• Since she's been in lockdown as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Queen Elizabeth II (opens in new tab) has been enjoying what might just be the first real break she's taken in her nearly 70 years on the throne.
• "It is possible this is the only slight rest she's ever had in her whole life," a source close to the Queen told People (opens in new tab) of the time she's been forced to take off during the pandemic. "She is well. She's in good fettle."
• In lockdown, the Queen has been spending time with her husband, Prince Philip, in Windsor.

The Queen (opens in new tab) is enjoying a break for the first time in...well, ever.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns, the monarch has been forced to cut back on the busy schedule she'd maintained for decades, and royal sources (opens in new tab) say it's actually been a good thing.

"In her twilight years, I'm sure it is quite lovely not to have the pressure" of a packed scheduled, a source described as a royal insider told People (opens in new tab).

Queen Elizabeth II (opens in new tab) isn't known for taking vacations or even short breaks and famously puts the monarchy and its needs ahead of her personal life (as anyone who has seen The Crown (opens in new tab) knows). 

"It is possible this is the only slight rest she's ever had in her whole life," a source close to the Queen added. "She is well. She's in good fettle."

During lockdown, the Queen has been spending time (opens in new tab) with her husband, Prince Philip (opens in new tab), at their residence in Windsor (opens in new tab). It's marked a happy change of pace for the couple, who have spent a lot of time apart in the past few years. Following his retirement (opens in new tab) from public life (opens in new tab) in 2017, Philip has spent most of his time at Wood Farm near Sandringham even as the Queen continued to live and work in London for much of the year. In lockdown, People reports, the couple (who have been together for an impressive 73 years) have had dinner together every night.