Queen Elizabeth Is 'In Her Element' Around These Royals, Expert Says

Queen Elizabeth II is just like any other great-grandmother when she's with her many great-grandkids, according to a royal expert.

Royal expert Kerene Barefield, executive producer of True Royal TV's "The Royal Beat," recently weighed in on what the 95-year-old monarch is like as a great-grandmother.

"The queen is in her element when she’s got her great-grandchildren sitting on her lap and having that family time," Barefield told Us Weekly Monday. "I’m sure it’s something that we’ll never ever get to witness — that kind of really relaxed family time, which is what everyone else has at Christmas."

The Queen has 12 great-grandchildren, including Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3, with Prince William and Kate Middleton and Archie, 2, and Lilibet, 6 months, with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Queen Elizabeth is also a great-grandma to her grandson Peter Phillips' children, Savannah Phillips, 10, and Isla Phillips, 9. The son of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips finalized his divorce from ex-wife Autumn Phillips in June.

Her Majesty also has three great-grandchildren with granddaughter Zara Phillips and her husband Mike Tindall — Mia, 7, Lena, 3, and Lucas, whom the couple welcomed on March 21. Among the Queen's youngest great-grandkids are Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's son August, 10 months, and Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's daughter Sienna, 3 months.

Princess Beatrice paid tribute to her grandmother with Sienna's middle name, Elizabeth. Earlier this year, Prince Harry and Markle did the same by naming their daughter, Lilibet, in homage to the Queen's childhood nickname.

The Queen has not yet met Prince Harry and Markle's second child, whom the couple welcomed in June. However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly have no plans to fly to the U.K. with their kids for the holidays.

Queen Elizabeth usually spends the holidays with the other members of the royal family, including her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, at her Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England. But the royal family has been forced to scale back their holiday plans once more amid the surge in COVID-19 cases across the U.K.

An unnamed source told Us Weekly last week that Prince William and Kate Middleton were planning to bring their children to meet their great-grandmother on Christmas. "George, Charlotte and Louis are absolutely delighted to be seeing their great grandmother in person again," the tipster said.

However, the Queen has since changed her holiday plans and opted to stay in Windsor Castle for the Christmas and New Year break instead of heading to Sandringham.

It remains unsure if Prince William, Middleton and their children will make the journey to Windsor for scaled-down festivities. The Cambridges are reportedly likely to celebrate Christmas in their Norfolk home, near the Queen's Sandringham estate.

"I understand from sources that there could be a Christmas at Windsor this year, if things change," Barefield said. "So, I think close aides are kind of looking at an alternative Christmas and how that would look at Windsor instead of everyone going to Sandringham."