King Charles III has returned home to his Highgrove estate for a much-needed day off, a week after the death of his mother, after dropping off the Queen Consort.
The new monarch was seen clambering down from the royal helicopter in Reybridge near Lacock, Wiltshire - the home of his wife Camilla - where they were met by a smattering of officials.
His Majesty was seen still wearing the outfit he wore as he walked behind his mother’s coffin with his sons and other members of the royal family to her current resting place in Westminster Hall.
After the helicopter came to a stop the King then took the wheel of one of the waiting cars and, with a minder next to him, drove back to his Gloucestershire estate himself.
The homecoming was a far cry of the pomp and ceremony of the last few days as both were met by a small number of handlers on their return to their respective homes.
Their arrivals are believed to be the first time they have stepped foot back home since the Queen died last Thursday, prompting Operation London Bridge.
Alone in his Highgrove estate, the King is expected to have a private day of reflection.
During the time alone he is expected to continue to receive the red boxes of state papers.
The period of reflection comes ahead of next Monday’s state funeral for his mother, the Queen.
Today, thousands of people are expected to visit the late monarch as the several mile-long queue continues to snake its way along the South Bank.
The Queen is currently lying in state in Westminster Hall where the King led the procession on Wednesday from Buckingham Palace.
It comes ahead of the Queen's state funeral on Monday which is expected to record a global TV audience of more than four billion people.
An industry expert predicted no fewer than 4.1billion people will tune in to see the late monarch laid to rest – a figure which would represent more than half the world's population.
It would also mean that the ceremony at Westminster Abbey would become the biggest live event on TV ever, eclipsing the estimated audience of 3.5billion that watched Muhammad Ali open the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
It would also more than double the estimated global viewers for both Live 8 in 2005 (2billion) and Live Aid in 1985 (1.9 billion), as well as quadrupling the billion people that tuned in to see the then-Prince Charles marry Diana in 1981.
Carolina Beltramo, TV analyst at WatchTVAbroad.com, predicted in the Daily Star : “Such is the love and admiration for Queen Elizabeth II around the world that her funeral is destined to be the biggest live TV event in history.
“Generations of people across the globe won’t have been alive the last time pomp and pageantry were seen on this scale.”
