Queen news: monarch plans historic first for visit to beloved church

The Queen will likely be seen wearing a face covering in public within a few weeks if she is photographed entering her beloved Crathie Kirk, near her home in Aberdeenshire. The monarch, a

devout Christian, usually attends Sunday service at the chapel over the summer months she spends in Scotland.  But unless current coronavirus guidelines change, the Queen will need to make a

few adjustments to her routine. In Scotland, all worshippers must provide contact details for track-and-trace before entering a church. They also need to wear face masks and remain two

metres away from people who are not members of their households. Donations are discouraged to avoid the spread of the virus through money, as is the sharing of books or service sheets. 

Singing is also forbidden under current guidelines. Places of worships should not admit more than 50 people, regardless of their capacity. Rev Kenneth Mackenzie, the royal chaplain who has

been the minister for the Crathie and Braemer parishes over the past 15 years, said finding a balance between safety and worship if difficult. READ MORE: ROYAL FANS CONFUSED OVER KATE

MIDDLETON'S REAL TITLE - EXPERT The Church of Scotland gave the go-ahead to parishes to reopen their places of worship for communal ceremonies on July 15. However, the Queen's

beloved church is yet to resume Sunday services. Rev Mackenzie told The Sun: "It's a tricky one for us. “We are trying to find a way of doing services and we will try to get things

up and running in the coming weeks. DON'T MISS  "But as things currently stand we cannot have it like before. “We have to keep a record of who comes - everybody has to register

and wear a facemask. "It won’t be like it was before. “We are also hoping to open for private prayer on Wednesdays at set times.  “We have many people in the parish who are vulnerable

and may feel they cannot attend.” The Queen and Prince Philip are due to travel to Balmoral Castle in early August, as confirmed by Buckingham Palace last week. The couple have been

self-isolating at Windsor Castle since March 19, and have been abiding by Government guidelines on coronavirus throughout the past few months. The pair took part in the secret wedding of

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on July 17.  In the picture shared by Buckingham Palace, the senior royals and the newlyweds were shown two metres away from each other.

Similarly, the Queen didn't get close to Captain Tom Moore during the investiture ceremony which took place shortly after Beatrice's wedding. The Queen's first face-to-face

engagement since she left Buckingham Palace didn't feature any handshake nor saw the monarch appointing on the Captain's lapel his honour. Prince Philip, who stepped out of his

retirement to pass on to Camilla his title of Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles, also walked more than one metre away from the soldiers taking part in this rare event while inspecting the

guard.