Queen Elizabeth II And Prince Charles' Pandemic Christmas Plans Revealed

Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh are deviating from their traditional Christmas plans this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson confirmed the monarch and her husband will be skipping festivities at Sandringham Estate, and spending the holidays in isolation.

The palace has confirmed the 94-year-old-monarch and 99-year-old Prince Philip will remain at Windsor Castle, where they have spent most of their time since the outbreak of the pandemic. They are expected to keep the celebrations subdued.

“Having considered all the appropriate advice, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have decided that this year they will spend Christmas quietly in Windsor,” the spokesperson said, The Guardian reported.

Not only will the royal couple spend their time away from their family, they will also not attend the annual Christmas Day service at the neighborhood St. George Chapel. The decision comes as a measure to prevent public gathering and attracting the crowd.

“The Queen and the duke are fortunate to spend Christmas with their family every year. They understand that their family will have competing demands over the Christmas period and are content to have a quiet festive season this year. Like everyone they hope things will get back to normal in 2021,” the source added.

Traditionally, every year, the queen invites close members of her family to her ancestral home, Sandringham in Norfolk. Prince of Wales, 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 gather at the 20,000-acre estate to participate in festivities that continue from Christmas through New Year.

On Christmas morning, the royal family walks to the nearby St Mary Magdalene church to attend the annual service and is cheered upon by members of the public gathered at the family estate.

The queen and her family have been celebrating Christmas at Norfolk since 1988, Hello magazine reported. This is the first time in 32 years that things have changed so drastically for the family, and they are forced to stay apart during the year’s biggest celebration.

Nevertheless, the queen and the prince are allowed to meet some family members over the holiday. The Guardian noted they will socialize in an exclusive bubble throughout the festive break. However, there is no word yet on which members of the royal family are sharing the social bubble with the monarch.

As per the report, Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla are spending their Christmas break away from their family at their Highgrove home in Gloucestershire. However, the heir apparent and the queen-in-standing are reportedly expected to meet the queen “at some point.”

As for Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children, they might be visiting the Middleton family over Christmas.