Queen Elizabeth Dons A Summery Look During Unexpected Public Outing

These days, Queen Elizabeth's public appearances are often a bit of a surprise. Due to ongoing mobility challenges, the 96-year-old monarch's attendance is frequently confirmed at the last minute, just hours before an event, per Vanity Fair. These mobility difficulties have caused the queen to miss out on key events such as the opening of Parliament, and even resulted in her stepping back from Platinum Jubilee events, such as the Service of Thanksgiving and Epsom Derby.

But despite these disappointments, the monarch continues to keep the world on its toes. As a grand finale to the Platinum Jubilee festivities, Elizabeth made an unexpected appearance on the royal balcony, per People. "There is no guidebook to follow," the queen wrote after the celebration. "While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family," she continued, acknowledging the balancing act of being a nonagenarian and continuing to work at a highly visible job for 70 years and counting.

Outside of her official duties, the monarch also continues to surprise. Recently, The Sun reported that Elizabeth had resumed the reins of her beloved hobby of horseback riding after a nine month hiatus. And after a fairly quiet period without official appearances, the queen has stepped out into the public spotlight for the first time since her Platinum Jubilee.

Queen Elizabeth journeyed to Scotland for her first public outing since her historic Platinum Jubilee. In Edinburgh, the queen received an official welcome along with the keys to the city, per People. The "Ceremony of the Keys" is part of a longstanding tradition when the royal family comes to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. As tweeted by the royal family, the shining keys are presented on an eye-catching pillow of red velvet that is embroidered with Scottish thistles. The gesture was accompanied by the words: "We ... welcome Your Majesty to the Capital City of your Ancient and Hereditary Kingdom of Scotland and offer for your gracious acceptance the Keys of Your Majesty's good City of Edinburgh."

After receiving the shining keys, the monarch then handed them back to the Lord Provost, per Daily Mail. "I return these keys, being perfectly convinced that they cannot be placed in better hands than those of the Lord Provost and Councillors of my good City of Edinburgh," Elizabeth responded, as tweeted by the royal family.

This exchange takes place each time the queen makes an official trip to Scotland's capital. A ceremonial troop inspection is also part of the event, per The Times.

As usual, Queen Elizabeth dressed to impress during her appearance at "The Ceremony of the Keys" in Edinburgh. The monarch donned one of her signature monochromatic looks for the event. "The queen is looking lovely in a powder blue silk wool coat and powder blue silk dress by Stewart Parvin," tweeted Rebecca English, Daily Mail London's royal editor. "Her hat is by Rachel Trevor-Morgan. She also sports the Argyll and Sutherland brooch." The queen's ensemble also included her trusty walking stick.

Vogue asserted that Elizabeth is "a style icon" and Parvin's designs are one of her go-to choices, along with the expertise of her personal stylist and dresser Angela Kelly. For footwear, the queen has relied on Anello & Davide loafers for the last half-century.

During the ceremony, Her Majesty was also accompanied by her youngest son, Prince Edward, and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex. However, like other royal titles that change based on location, Edward and Sophie will be known as the Earl and Countess of Forfar while in Scotland, per Daily Mail.

According to the BBC, Queen Elizabeth plans to stay at Holyroodhouse until July 1; however, she doesn't plan to attend all the events. The queen will leave the hosting duties of Wednesday's annual garden party to Prince Edward, the Duchess of Wessex, and Princess Anne.

While her attendance likely won't be confirmed until just prior to the event, Elizabeth does plan to make an appearance at other scheduled festivities. "The queen also hopes to attend an Armed Forces Act of Loyalty Parade in the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse tomorrow — an opportunity for the Armed Forces to mark Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee in Scotland and pay tribute to the queen's role as Head of the UK Armed Forces," tweeted Rebecca English.

The royal editor for Daily Mail London later added, "She is also expected to hold an audience with @NicolaSturgeon at some point this week as well." As first minister, Sturgeon leads the Scottish government – a position she has held since 2014. Previously, Her Majesty met with Sturgeon during 2021's Holyrood Week, per the BBC. On the occasion of the Platinum Jubilee, the first minister commented on the experience of the face-to-face meeting with the queen, saying, "That opportunity to talk with her, to benefit from her knowledge, her wisdom, and perhaps above all, the completely unique perspective she has on modern world history is something that I deeply value and will always really treasure," as reported by Sky News.