It comes amid heightened concern for the Queen’s health amid her bouts of mobility problems. A royal source told the Mirror: “The traditional Balmoral welcome is usually fixed in the Queen’s calendar and something Her Majesty really enjoys as she gets to greet locals who travel to see her. “It is a bitter disappointment that the ceremony will not take place in its traditional form.” Other sources added that the alternative plan was “a sign of things to come.” Buckingham Palace said the private ceremony was “in line with adapting Her Majesty’s schedule for her convenience”. As can be seen until a few days ago there were plans for the established welcome. It is the first time in decades, barring the Covid pandemic, that the head of state will not be greeting well-wishers outside her private home in Scotland to kick off her annual summer holiday. The ceremony traditionally sees the Queen inspect a guard of honor from the Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland. Last year he enjoyed a performance by the regiment’s 3rd Battalion Pipes and Drums. The monarch, who serves as Colonel-General of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, also met Shetland Pony mascot Sergeant Cruchan IV. This year he will attend a private ceremony in the grounds of Balmoral. He will continue to inspect soldiers, but there will be no media. Every summer the Queen heads to her private residence in Aberdeenshire, where she is joined by other members of the royal family. Balmoral has been a welcome retreat for royals since Queen Victoria’s time as they make country pursuits in the Highlands. Despite the holidays, work continues for the Queen as she receives daily from Government Ministers and from her representatives in the Commonwealth and foreign countries, information in the form of policy papers, Cabinet papers and other government documents for her attention. It comes as the Queen, who celebrated her Platinum Jubilee earlier this year, now rarely holds engagements outside of her royal residences. The nation’s longest-reigning monarch suffers from ongoing mobility problems.