Cue the OOO Response: Queen Elizabeth Is Officially on Summer Vacation

Even monarchs need a break. Lucky for Queen Elizabeth, school Buckingham Palace is officially out for summer.

Her Majesty arrived at her Scottish estate, Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, today after getting a later start on her vacation than usual in order to have a meeting with new prime minister Boris Johnson.

The 93-year-old queen was greeted upon her arrival at Balmoral by a very regal Shetland pony named Corporal Cruachan IV, who happens to serve as the mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. As you’ll notice in the slideshow below, Queen Elizabeth also met with soldiers from 5 Scots (a subset of the regiment) and the Pipes and Drums unit from 4 Scots. The Royal Guard will watch over her and the rest of the royal family while they summer at Balmoral. 

But the queen’s retreat won’t be all meetings with high-ranking Shetland ponies, beach reads and garden parties. While on holiday, she’ll continue to work and read materials pertinent to the Commonwealth, which are delivered to the sweeping estate daily in red boxes. She’ll also continue to be the hostess with the mostest to fellow diplomats and will hold a few public engagements.