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British Royals

Senior royals on guard to ensure Christmas celebrations go ahead

Senior members of the Royal Family, including the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, are reported to be taking all reasonable precautions to ensure they are well enough to spend time at Christmas with The Queen.

It’s just been announced that Her Majesty will remain at Windsor Castle for the festive season, rather than travel to her home at Sandringham, as coronavirus infection rates increase across the UK. The Queen had hoped to gather her family at the Norfolk residence but it’s now understood that members of her family will instead travel to her at Windsor, most likely in smaller groups.

And ahead of the festive season, her children and grandchildren are all keeping any mixing outside their own households to a minimum to ensure they can spend part of the holidays at Windsor according to reports in the Daily Mirror.

The Queen is expected to be joined, at some point, by Charles and Camilla. The Princess Royal and her husband, Timothy Laurence, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex are also set to pass part of the Christmas break with her. The Duke of York lives nearby, at Royal Lodge, and is also expected to celebrate alongside his mother.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are reported to have a trip to Windsor planned, with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

The Queen spent Christmas 2020 in isolation at the castle with the Duke of Edinburgh as strict pandemic restrictions were in place across the UK. Her family is reported to be keen to ensure that she isn’t alone this festive season, her first since the death of Prince Philip in April 2021.

Royal Christmas celebrations have often taken place at Windsor in the past. However, in recent decades, The Queen has chosen to host her family at Sandringham.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Editor in Chief at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.