The first of these is to look out for the Queen's Standard. This flag is only hoisted if the Queen is in residence. So, if you arrive at Buck House and the Union Jack or any other is flying, you can bet your bottom dollar that the Queen will not be there.
Here is a picture of Balmoral Castle where the Queen goes on holiday. Note that the Scottish Standard is flying and so the Queen was not be there. However the tour there is absolutely fascinating.
Then, it is useful to look at the Queen's appointments in the Times Newspaper. This will give you a guide to where to hang out if you wish to see her. I knew that she was in Westminster Abbey for the Commonwealth Ambassador's Holy Communion. Lo and behold when we got there, her standard was flying proudly and I was able to see her emerge. The cherry on the top was to get a royal wave as she passed by in her Rolls. She is often seen driving in and out of Buckingham Palace. It is possible to tour the Palace at times and you are able to see her sumptuous apartments.
Like wise, you may see her at the Royal Albert Hall where she sometimes attends the theatre. The best and closest view I ever had of her was at Lord's cricket ground. I was there with my School 1st XI on tour. Shane Warne had just annihilated the England batting line-up. We were advised by tannoy that we could go onto the field where the Queen was to present medals to the players. We could clearly watch her being served tea in the pavilion and then we were as close as 5 m from her as she shook hands with the players.
The Queen often resides at Windsor Castle. The Changing of the Guard is much more exciting there as one can get a lot closer. There is also a tour of the Royal Apartments which is brim full of history and fascinating indeed. Finally, it is great to go to the Tower of London where the piece de resistance is the fabulous Crown Jewels.
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