Why the Queen's plane was forced to abort landing during her return flight to Windsor Castle

Luckily Her Majesty is safe and sound.

queen bumpy landing
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Luckily Her Majesty is safe and sound.

You know by now that the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend is nearly here and prior to the busy weekend of celebrations, the Queen has been enjoying a five-night stay in her Scottish home.

HRH usually visits the Balmoral Estate around this time of year and often will spend the summer months there. 

This year, she's returned early, largely to be in the capital in time for the many Platinum Jubilee events taking place.

She's now back at Windsor Castle, as per Buckingham Palace officials - but her journey home was less than smooth after her private plane experienced some turbulence.

Her jet was forced to abort its landing on the first attempt thanks to lightning, rain and hail forcing a delayed landing. 

While it sounds terrifying, a spokesperson for Buckingham Palace said:

"The Queen's flight was delayed due to a lightning storm, all the correct procedures were followed and there were no safety concerns."

Luckily, the jet was able to land a short while later. The Queen was driven to Windsor Castle with her Corgi safely in the back seat.

The Trooping of the Colour kicks off the Jubilee weekend tomorrow. The Queen will reportedly take her salute from the balcony of Buckingham Palace to avoid having to sit or stand for long periods of time after facing mobility issues.

The weekend is set to be a busy one and the Queen has already pulled out of the Epsom Derby this Saturday, despite it reportedly being her favourite racing event. She is said to have asked Princess Anne to represent her in her absence.

Harry and Meghan are also set to arrive in the UK today, flying from LA on daughter Lillibet's birthday. It's believed that she has the sweetest birthday plans with the Queen this weekend.

Although Buckingham Palace has fears that "Sussex Bomb" will overshadow the Queen, the palace has confirmed that only working Royals will stand on the balcony come the weekend, meaning Harry, Meghan and Prince Andrew will not be joining.

Buckingham Palace is already lined with tents as hundreds plan to camp out over the weekend for a sighting of the Queen.

Thankfully HRH has arrived safe and sound. 

Dionne Brighton

Dionne Brighton is a writer at Marie Claire UK, specialising in all things shopping, beauty and fashion. Born and raised in North London, she studied Literature at the University of East Anglia before taking the leap into journalism. These days, you can find her testing out the latest TikTok beauty trends or finding out what the next full Moon means.