The Queen’s private jet was forced to pull up and abort landing after being caught in the middle of a thunderstorm yesterday (Tuesday, May 31) as she headed to her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The terrifying incident happened as Her Majesty flew back to London following five days in her Balmoral home.
Plane drama for the Queen en route to Jubilee
Her Majesty’s private jet was forced to abort a landing during a thunderstorm yesterday.
The Queen was driven from Craigowan Lodge to Aberdeen airport, where she then boarded the plane.
The 13-seater jet took off at 1pm during a downpour. When it reached London, it was greeted by rain, hail and an electrical storm.
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The pilot attempted to land it at RAF Northolt in North West London. However, lightning forced them to abort the landing and pull back into the air.
The Queen then spent 15 minutes circling London before the weather cleared and a second attempt at landing succeeded.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that the plane had been forced to abort its first landing, however, there were no safety concerns for the Queen.
The Queen at Balmoral
Her Majesty had spent the past five days in Balmoral prior to the Jubilee celebrations this weekend.
Balmoral is seen as one of the Queen’s favourite places – however, she hadn’t visited it since last summer.
Not many details were revealed about the monarch’s private trip to Aberdeenshire.
However, some pundits believe the short break was an opportunity for her to recharge her batteries ahead of a demanding schedule.
Prior to her break, the 96-year-old monarch had appeared at numerous engagements, despite ongoing mobility issues.
Last week she attended Chelsea Flower Show, and earlier in the month she attended the Jubilee equestrian show.
Her Majesty to meet Lilibet
The Queen’s trip to Balmoral comes just days after it was revealed that she will be meeting Lilibet during the Jubilee celebrations.
It will be the first ever time that the Queen has met her great-granddaughter.
Lilibet is set to turn one on Saturday – making the Jubilee an even more special occasion for the Royal Family.
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The Queen has reportedly cleared her schedule so she can meet Harry and Meghan‘s youngest.
A gap in the Queen’s schedule emerged when it was announced that she had been forced to pull out of attending the Epsom derby.
The decision was made so as to give Her Majesty an opportunity to pace herself during the Jubilee.
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