Queen Elizabeth II Returns to Windsor Castle with Beloved Corgi Ahead of Platinum Jubilee Celebrations

Queen Elizabeth II has returned to Windsor Castle with her beloved Corgi by her side, ahead of four days of Jubilee celebrations.

The monarch was seen waving to a group of children as she arrived at the castle in a Range Rover.

Earlier, she had been spotted at an airport in Scotland, boarding a plane back to Berkshire after spending five nights at her Scottish country estate, Balmoral.

The 96-year-old Queen is expected to attend at least two events over the weekend, including the Trooping the Colour parade on Thursday and the service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday.

The Queen's return to Windsor comes just days before the start of Platinum Jubilee celebrations, which will begin with the Trooping the Colour parade on Thursday.

The parade will be followed by the lighting of the Platinum Jubilee beacons on Thursday night.

The Queen is set to make an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony on Thursday, and her attendance at the service of Thanksgiving on Friday is also scheduled.

However, Buckingham Palace has said that her attendance at these events will only be confirmed on the day itself.

Earlier this morning, members of the armed forces carried out a final rehearsal for the Platinum Jubilee pageant, which will mark the finale of the four-day weekend.

Troops carrying the flags of the Commonwealth nations were seen marching down the Mall, while members of the household cavalry were photographed in Parliament Square as they prepared for the huge parade.

The gold state coach, which was built in 1762, made its first appearance in 20 years.

It is hoped that the Queen will appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the pageant to see a musical finale of Ed Sheeran singing the national anthem with a choir made up of nearly 200 celebrities.

The Palace has reportedly asked pageant planners to avoid over-glorifying or over-egging the Queen and her family, or involving anything that seems too antagonising in consideration of anti-royalists.

Director David Zolkow said that Republicans would be considered alongside stringent royalists.

A royal source confirmed that the Queen and other members of the royal family wanted to ensure the jubilee was a chance for the monarch to thank the public.

The Gold State Coach is the third oldest coach in the UK and will be taken outside the Royal Muse for the first time since the Golden Jubilee.

It is made of gilt wood, a thin layer of gold leaf over the wood, and weighs four tons.

Because of its weight and suspension, it is only ever used at a walking pace and is said to be the most uncomfortable carriage the Queen owns.

Drawn by eight Windsor greyhorses, it will be led by the mounted band of the Houseguard Cavalry.

Adrian Evans, the pageant master, said that the coach is a unique spectacle that sets the tone for the many spectacular sights to come.

The elaborate coach features above each wheel a massive triton figure in gilded walnut wood to represent the spreading of the news of good government.

The main body is carved to represent palm trees framing the doors and windows.

It features paintings of Roman gods and goddesses representing human skill and endeavor.

These include the art, sciences, virtue, security, and the harvest goddess Ceres setting light to weapons in a sign of peace and prosperity, overcoming war.

The front panel of the coach includes a figure of Britannia sitting on the banks of the Thames in London, with the dome of St Paul's Cathedral just visible.

On the roof is a gilt wood carving of the British Imperial Crown being held by three putti or cherubs representing England, Scotland, and Ireland.

The coach will lead the procession to the sounds of the bells of Westminster Abbey, chiming as they did on the day the Queen was anointed.

The Platinum Jubilee celebrations promise to be an exciting but busy long weekend of events, with the Queen's attendance at each event to be confirmed on the day itself.

The Queen's return to Windsor Castle with her beloved Corgi signals the start of the festivities, which will culminate in a riotous celebration of the Queen's life, her favorite things, and the diversity of her reign.