Her Majesty still intends to celebrate Christmas at her Norfolk retreat as normal with other members of the family. Insiders are delighted that she is well enough to contemplate a return to normality at her first Christmas without Prince Philip.

       It is thought that after a winter of rest - following a 24-hour hospital stay and recovery from a sprained back in recent weeks - her first public engagement may be a memorial service for her late husband. Palace officials are working on plans for a service in March, possibly at St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey or St George's Chapel in Windsor.

       How much the Queen, 95, will be able to do by then is unclear.

       She is still under doctor's orders to stick to light duties for the foreseeable future because of an unexplained health condition that led to her spending 24 hours undergoing preliminary investigations last month.

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       It also forced her to pull out of attending a series of highprofile events.

       This week she has had a busy few days, holding a range of in-person meetings and virtual audiences.

       Next year she is likely to mark her accession, and a landmark 70 years on the throne, at Sandringham on February 6.

       But it is always a day of quiet contemplation for her because it is the anniversary of her father King George VI's death.