While the Queen was in hospital earlier in the week, many viewers of the news on TV were astounded by the spectacle of the two policeman standing guard outside.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh have been forced to cancel a two-day tour of Rome that they were said to have been looking forward to, due to begin on Thursday this week, because the Queen had been admitted to hospital with a stomach bug.
As families in Britain struggle through the recession there have been calls for a crackdown on the credit industry following the discovery that a quarter of people who take out expensive pay day loans are using them to pay other debts, leading to a vicious cycle.
Britain’s Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has told BBC Radio that Britain could pull out of the European Convention of Human Rights if the Conservatives win the next general election in 2015.