Inside Queen Elizabeth's First Christmas Without Prince Philip: Report

Queen Elizabeth II had a somewhat melancholy Christmas this year without her husband Prince Philip and many of her family members by her side.

The Queen celebrated the holiday for the first time in more than 70 years without the Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away in April, just over two months shy of his 100th birthday. She also had to spend Christmas away from her extended family amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the U.K.

"Christmas was a bit of a struggle for the queen without Prince Philip by her side," an unnamed source told Us Weekly. "And not being able to spend it with her whole family [didn’t help]."

However, the insider said Queen Elizabeth is "not one to wallow in self-pity and kept her chin up."

Prince William, Kate Middleton and their three children reportedly planned to reunite with the Queen at the monarch's Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England, on Christmas.

However, the Queen changed her holiday plans and stayed in Windsor Castle instead of heading to her Norfolk residence, where the royal family usually gathers for the Christmas and New Year break. Her Majesty deemed it safer not to travel amid the spike in cases related to the Omicron variant.

But while the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were not able to spend the holiday with the Queen, Prince William "liaised" with his father Prince Charles, who visited the Queen on Christmas, and Princess Anne, who was isolating through the holiday, to organize a group Zoom call with the monarch.

The virtual reunion not only "brightened up" the Queen's day but also helped make Prince William and Middleton's children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis' holiday, the insider said. The Cambridges were celebrating at their countryside home Anmer Hall in Norfolk.

"Obviously, the Cambridges were disappointed not to be spending the day with the queen, but thanks to modern technology, they video called her first thing in the morning to wish her a Merry Christmas," the tipster added. "And the kids excitedly told their great-grandmother about their gifts."

The Queen honored Prince Philip in her annual Christmas address, in which she admitted that she misses her late husband.

"Although it's a time of great happiness and good cheer for many, Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones. This year, especially, I understand why," Queen Elizabeth was quoted by People as saying in her broadcast, which aired Saturday.

The Queen said she has drawn comfort from the many tributes to Prince Philip that have poured in from around the world and recalled the late duke's "sense of service, intellectual curiosity and capacity to squeeze the fun out of any situation."

"And as much as I and my family miss him, I know he would want us to enjoy Christmas," the monarch said.