Queen Elizabeth Surprises Royal Fans with Public Appearance in Scotland

Queen Elizabeth made a surprise public appearance as she travelled to Scotland for a week of royal activities.

The Queen, who is drastically reducing her travel as she is battling mobility issues, delighted royal followers on her first public duty since the Platinum Jubilee.

She made a lively appearance for the ancient ceremony of the keys at the Palace of Holyrood House.

The monarch, who is 96 years old, smiled broadly during the historic ceremony as she was presented with the keys to Edinburgh.

Her appearance had by no means been given, with other members of the royal family booked in for engagements all week in case she did not feel up to attending.

However, to the delight of royal watchers, Her Majesty made an appearance for the first event, arriving at her official residence in Scotland to open Royal Week.

Dressed in a powder blue silk wool coat and dress by Stuart Parvin, paired with a hat by Raquel Trevor Morgan and her Argyll and Sutherland brooch, the Queen was symbolically offered the keys to the city.

Tradition dictates that the monarch returns them, entrusting their safekeeping to the city's elected officials.

The Queen was joined by the Wessexes, known as the Earl and Countess of Forfar, while they are in Scotland.

The Guard of Honour was provided by the Balaclava Company, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland, which was inspected by the Earl on the forecourt of the palace during the ceremony.

Music was provided by the pipes and drums of the Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland, and the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

On Tuesday, the Queen will attend an Armed Forces Ceremony in the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse as part of a presentation of the key for Edinburgh Castle.

The parade, which will see all three services represented, will be an opportunity to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in Scotland.

She will also pay tribute to her role as head of the UK Armed Forces.

The trip comes after the recent Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the Queen, in which she pledged to continue to do her job to the best of her abilities supported by her family.

Her children Prince Charles, known as the Earl of Rothesay in Scotland, and the Princess Royal will also take part in a series of public engagements in Scotland over the coming days.

It emerged over the weekend that the Queen had defied doctors by getting back in the saddle on her beloved horses just days after she was seen without the walking stick she had relied on recently.

Nine months after she was advised to stop riding, the 96-year-old monarch had reportedly been on horseback in Windsor.

Unspecified mobility problems kept her from attending some Platinum Jubilee events this month and she was often seen using a stick during engagements.

She was even using a golf buggy to walk her corgis.

But after meeting Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby at Windsor Castle on Tuesday without the aid of a stick, she appears to have made further progress.

A source told The Sun she had missed her riding for nine months, adding, “The Queen has enjoyed being on her horse again, riding again is a wonderful sign after those worries about her health.

To do so at 96 is pretty remarkable.”

The Queen often used to take part in Trooping the Colour on horseback, but in more recent years the role has been taken over by members of her family.

She has been a committed horsewoman ever since she was given a pony at three in 1929 and has been a devoted horse race owner and breeder all her adult life.