How Queen Elizabeth II And Her Family Will Celebrate Royal Christmas Amid Pandemic

The British royal family will not be celebrating Christmas the traditional way this year. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Queen Elizabeth II may not be able to reunite with Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and many others at Sandringham Estate where she usually spends the holiday season with her family.

According to People, the Christmas celebration for the British Royal family will be "scaled down" as they might be forced to stay apart at this time of the year. The final arrangement for the family is yet to be confirmed as the United Kingdom is currently under lockdown due to the second wave of COVID-19 and the government is yet to issue official guidelines for the royal family.

It is certain that the annual Christmas celebrations at the 94-year-old monarch's ancestral home in Norfolk will take a hit as she has been requested to maintain a social bubble. Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are still waiting for the advisory from the U.K. government.

Prince William and Kate are "are waiting to hear [about U.K. government guidelines] just like everyone else," a source told People. As for the queen and her husband Prince Philip, they are currently isolating in Windsor Castle where they have spent most of their time since the onset of the pandemic. They have reportedly not made the decision yet whether they will be traveling to Sandringham Estate this year or not.

The source has revealed that Prince William and Kate's three children "miss their great-granny," but rules are going to be the same for everyone. The Cambridge family is expected to spend their Christmas at their Anmer Hall home, which is located two miles away from the queen's Sandringham residence. Even if the queen decides to head to her Norfolk home, she might have to maintain distance from her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Meanwhile, Hello reveals that as per the current government guidelines, only "three households" of the British royal family can mix from Dec. 23 to Dec. 27. However, this bubble must be kept exclusive during this period of time and these households will not be allowed to mix up with others. It is said that the queen and her 99-year-old husband is yet to choose with whom they would be spending the pandemic Christmas.

Traditionally, the queen invites the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Cambridge family, the Sussex family, the Earl of Wessex, the Countess of Wessex, the Duke of York, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, and Jack Brooksbank to her countryside residence for Christmas celebrations. Together, the family relaxes and participates in festivities from Christmas through New Year at this 20,000-acre estate. They also attend the annual mass on Christmas Day at St. Mary Magdalene church, which dates back to the 16^th century.

As for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, they will also remain away from their family in the U.K. The Sussex family will be joined by the duchess' mother, Doria Ragland, for their first Christmas at their new home in Montecito, California.