Sources claim that the Queen’s Sandringham Christmas is ‘continued to be under review’. Senior royals have agreed not to continue their festivities in the lead-up to 25 December to make it possible to join the monarch on the 25th.
According to The Mirror: The Duchess and Duke of Cambridge, Prince Charles and Camilla and Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Prince Charles and Camilla and Sophie have committed to reducing all contacts except those that are essential in the lead up to the big day.
Their decision comes after the Queen, 95, cancelled her annual Royal Family Christmas lunch next Tuesday ‘with regret’ as a ‘precaution’ to try to save her loved ones’ festive plans, amid fears over the rapid spread of the Omicron Covid variant.
Her Majesty was planning to welcome 50 or so relatives, including Prince Charles and Camilla, to the event at Windsor Castle next week, and the decision to axe the party was made because too many people’s Christmas arrangements were at risk if it went ahead.
It is MailOnline’s understanding that there are no immediate plans for staff to form a Covid bubble with the Queen as they did last year, because the situation is constantly changing.
According to insiders, the monarch might stay in Windsor for the Christmas period and not move to Sandringham.
According to sources, the queen’s Sandringham trip (pictured this week), ‘continues under review’. The senior royals agreed to cancel festive plans to avoid missing Christmas Day.
The Duke and Duke of Cambridge, pictured together with Princess Charlotte (December 25, 2019), Prince George at Sandringham, Prince George on December 25, 2019. Prince Charles and Camilla as well as Prince Edward and Princess Anne are pictured here. Sophie is also pictured.
After the Christmas party, Queen Elizabeth II was scheduled to fly in a helicopter to Sandringham in Norfolk where she will spend Christmas Day.
However, the Queen ‘with regret’ cancelled her family lunch as a ‘precautionary’ measure, feeling that too many people’s Christmas arrangements were at risk if it went ahead.
Sources close to the Royal Family stated that there was a conviction that doing so is best for everyone.
Dickie Arbiter, the Queen’s former press secretary, told The Sun: ‘The luncheon is very important to the Queen because it is the one time of the year when the whole extended family gets together.
‘Having cancelled this lunch I’d be very surprised if she decamped and took her family to Sandringham. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Windsor has been in a safe bubble.
‘The Queen leads by example and expects the rest of the family to follow suit. In this very infectious time it is better to be safe than sorry.’
This is the second time that the Queen cancels the luncheon which was held every year at Buckingham Palace. The lunch was canceled last year due to stricter regulations being imposed by the Delta Covid surge.
Millions of Britons have canceled their Christmas plans to see loved ones on Christmas Day. This was after Chris Whitty and Boris Johnson caused a tsunami of cancellations at pubs and restaurants. They urged the nation not to socialize with strangers or in large groups.
They made the decision after Queen Elizabeth (pictured with other senior royals March 2020), 95, decided to cancel her annual Royal Family Christmas dinner on Tuesday “with regret” in order to preserve her beloved ones’ holiday plans.
Windsor Castle was chosen to host the annual Christmas Lunch this year instead of Buckingham Palace.
Elsewhere, royal sources told the Mirror that while there is ‘obvious uncertainty as to how Christmas will look exactly’, the senior royals are determined to be by the Queen’s side.
She suggested that one option is to celebrate Christmas at her Windsor Castle home. This was where she had stayed most of the time during the pandemic.
According to reports, family members who are invited to Christmas Day celebrations will need to pass Covid test on the days before and after.
A royal source said: ‘In terms of plans for Christmas, everything is up in the air. Senior members of the family have spoken with each other and cut back on all but essential contacts in public so they are ready to travel to be with the Queen wherever Christmas can take place.
‘As she has acted throughout the pandemic, the Queen will do what she feels is right in the current circumstances which are ever changing.’
Family members would be reunited at Windsor’s annual Christmas dinner, the largest since the death of Duke of Edinburgh in April.
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, during a briefing for media in Downing Street (London).
While three of her four new grandchildren – August, Lucas and Siena – had been expected to attend the lunch, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and their son Archie and newborn Lilibet, also born this year, were remaining in the US.
The Queen, who is now residing at Windsor Castle after several health problems in the last week, remains on “light duties”.
A crew from ITV recorded Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas Day speech several weeks back.
The Mail last week reported that palace aides had also explored options to allow the monarch to visit the public to wish the country a happy Christmas.
Buckingham Palace released video and photos of the sovereign undertaking. However, the meetings were held behind palace walls.
It is hoped that she will feel well enough to participate in a brief public event on the castle grounds. It will be a “small shot of joy” in times difficult.
Sources said that although it won’t be an ordinary Christmas, the celebration will still be as regular as possible for many families across the country.
Last seen by the public, Queen Elizabeth was at Windsor Castle on October 19. She cancelled her trip to Northern Ireland the next day and was then taken to hospital for unspecified preliminary tests.
After being ordered to take a break for several weeks, she has resumed a few low-key engagements including recording a message for Cop26.
Many people have started to self-isolate voluntarily to save themselves from being isolated on December 25th if they get positive for Covid.
Prof Whitty said that a rise in Omicron hospitalisations is ‘nailed on’ after cases hit a record high, telling a televised No 10 press briefing: ‘I think that what most people are doing is – and I would think this seems very sensible – is prioritising the social interactions that really matter to them and, to project those ones, de-prioritising ones that matter much less to them.’
After weeks of refusing admitting that Christmas plans might be at risk, Johnson advised the nation to stop celebrating Christmas and to ‘think carefully’ about what to do during this festive time.
Independent SAGE, a group made up of doctors and scientists called for a 10-day shutdown. This would include bans on mixing households and closing of all hospitality businesses. They accused Prime Minister David Cameron of not imposing stricter controls sooner and stated that the time was right for emergency action.