Here it is, in all its winter glory, the palace the Queen is leaving behind. For Christmas, that is. The festive period is well and truly on its way as HM has hopped on the train on her way to Sandringham.
It's become a real royal Christmas tradition, the sight of Elizabeth II hopping off the train at King's Lynn in Norfolk on her way to the royal home she so loves and where she now spends every festive period. She departed the capital this morning, just as the official Royal Family Twitter account shared that rather gorgeous image of Buckingham Palace.
There is something rather lovely about the Queen on a train platform and this year, in a brown coat with checked headscarf, it seemed even more familiar and comforting. HM will now spend around six weeks in Norfolk - she traditionally returns to London in the early part of February, preferring to mark the anniversary of her father's death and her own accession in the privacy of Sandringham.
Which means one of the highlights of early 2019 will be seeing the Queen on a train all over again. For now, let's enjoy the regal festive sight that is Elizabeth II, a train and the start of the royal Christmas.