The Queen's annual winter break at Sandringham House, near King's Lynn in Norfolk came to an end on Monday 11 February 2019. The 92-year-old monarch was based at her beloved Norfolk estate since late December and caught the 10.44am train from King's Lynn Train Station heading to King's Cross Train Station in London to resume royal duties. The 1 hour 57 minute service arrived at Platform 0 at the station, which is well known for its association with the Harry Potter books and films, particularly the fictional Platform 9¾. After all the passengers on board the Great Northern service disembarked the train, the Queen, flanked by protection officers and dressed in a grey embroidered coat, was escorted to a car waiting on Platform 1 that then proceeded to move along the empty platform and leave the station - much to bemusement and excitement of passengers looking on. On arriving at King's Lynn station to begin her journey to London, the Queen entered through a side entrance known as the Royal Gate on Monday amid tight security. The monarch was not joined by the Duke of Edinburgh - who has been installed in his own cottage in Sandringham since retiring in 2017 - as she boarded the First Class carriage of the Great Northern service. King's Lynn Train Station is just a 30-minute drive from the Sandringham country estate. Sandringham has been owned by the royal family since 1862 when it was purchased by Queen Victoria at the request of her son Edward, then Prince of Wales. Since then, the house has been in continuous use by the royal family and it was there that King George VI died.