Will Elisabeth II spend Christmas, as she usually does, at Sandringham? Nothing is less sure. According to several sources from Buckingham Palace, who confided in
CNN and
Town & Country, the Queen of England is expected to stay in Windsor, where she has resided since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The virus, and more particularly the very rapid spread of the Omicron variant, would be the main reason for this change in royal traditions. The UK is facing an unprecedented wave, with more than 91,000 positive cases per day. If Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, has chosen not to tighten the restrictions for Christmas, the Queen, she obviously prefers to stay at home.
First Christmas without Prince Philip
Since 1988, the Windsors have been meeting in Sandringham for Christmas. Only the immediate family is invited. Before the traditional lunch on December 25, they all go together to the 11 am Mass at St Mary Magdalene Church, the opportunity to greet the crowds that have come their way. The queen usually stays there until the beginning of February.
This reunion had already been canceled last year, again because of the pandemic. Elisabeth II had spent the holidays with her husband, Prince Philip, at Windsor Castle. This year will mark her first Christmas without her husband, who passed away in April at the age of 99. The Queen of England also had a difficult end to the year, marked by health concerns forcing her to cancel her obligations. It remains to be seen whether her son, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla, as well as her grandson, Prince William, and his tribe will be able to join her on December 25 given the health situation. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are unlikely to make the trip from California. The Queen’s traditional Christmas speech is being maintained for the time being.