Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II is still in Sandringham weeks after Christmas. Pictured: The Queen smiles as she arrives before the Opening of the Flanders' Fields Memorial Garden at Wellington Barracks on November 6, 2014 in London, England. Getty Images/Stefan Warmuth-WPA Pool

Queen Elizabeth II was spotted attending a church service in Sandringham last Sunday.

The 92-year-old monarch looked regal in her purple coat and matching hat. The Queen was photographed riding her vehicle from her estate to St. Mary Magdalene, the church where she and the members of the royal family gathered during last month’s Christmas Day church service.

Her Majesty has been in Sandringham for the holiday break since before Christmas Eve. She stayed in the private estate for an extended vacation, possibly with Prince Philip. The other members of the British clan have returned to London for their official engagements.

The Queen, on the other hand, may stay in Sandringham for a couple more days. It is also possible that she will spend time there until after Feb. 6. In November, it was reported that the monarch doesn’t take down the Christmas decorations in her home and in the palaces until after Feb. 6.

According to The Sun’s journalist Josie Griffiths, this is the Queen’s way of paying tribute to her late father, King George VI, who died in Sandringham on Feb. 6, 1952. Griffiths also said that it has been a common practice for the current monarch on the throne to stay in Sandringham long after the holidays are over.

In related news, the Queen has shown signs that she’s already slowing down from her role as the monarch. It has been revealed that Prince William is slowly taking a step towards taking over for his grandmother. Last year, he took on 220 royal engagements, which is 50 more engagements than he attended in 2017.

The Queen, on the other hand, only took 283 engagements, which is much less than her previous engagements in 2016 and 2017. Charlie Proctor of Royal Central told Daily Star Online that Prince William’s engagements add up every year, and this suggests that he is already preparing to become the Prince of Wales one day.

“I think as the years go, Prince William will eventually take on more of the Queen’s workload. It is particularly important that he does so now after the Duke of Edinburgh’s retirement…” he said.

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