A royal source tells ET that the queen will spend her 96th birthday privately at Sandringham.
Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her 96th birthday in a special location. A royal source tells ET that the queen, who is turning 96 on Thursday, will be traveling to Sandringham, where her late husband, Prince Philip, "spent many of the last years of his life."
"The queen will spend her 96th birthday privately at Sandringham. She will travel to Sandringham from her base at Windsor," the source explains. "Sandringham holds a very special place in her heart, as it is where Prince Philip spent many of the last years of his life."
Sandringham is also where her father died, and is the location the queen returns to each year to commemorate the sad occasion.
"Every year, on February 6, the day of his death, she has returned to Sandringham. The family also has traditionally spent Christmas at Sandringham," the source adds.
News of the queen's quiet birthday celebration comes after her grandson, Prince Harry, sat down with the Today show's Hoda Kotb -- while taking part in this year's Invictus Games -- to talk about the Games and detail his recent visit with his grandmother, his first in nearly two years.
"Being with her, it was great. It was just so nice to see her," Harry shared. "She’s on great form."